


In My Father's Eyes

by thatwriterlady



Series: Father's Pride [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha John Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Wolves, Assault, Attraction, Castiel Likes Dean Winchester, Castiel is a Sweetheart, Dating, Dean Winchester Likes Castiel, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Family, First Meetings, Gabriel Is A Bad Ass, Gabriel Loves Sam Winchester, Happy Ending, M/M, Mates, Mating Bond, Mpreg, Omega Dean Winchester, Omega Sam Winchester, Other, Pack Dynamics, Prompt Fic, Protective John Winchester, References to Illness, Rescue, Sam Winchester Loves Gabriel, Scenting, Sowing Their Wild Oats
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 13:44:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14082222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatwriterlady/pseuds/thatwriterlady
Summary: John Winchester has been a patient man.  He has watched his boys play the field for years, never taking the people they took to bed seriously enough to possibly mate.  When he receives bad news from his doctor and catches both boys in...compromising situations, he makes a decision.  He was going to find both of them an Alpha to mate with, before he died.  His boys aren't thrilled with the idea but they want to make their father happy.  Eventually they realize they've put off growing up for far too long.  It's time to grow up, and fast.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a prompt based fic that I got in the Destiel Port group on FB. I saw this prompt and I just NEEDED to write it. It is going to start off with a mixture of Sam and Dean's experiences. Eventually it will move into a Sabriel relationship, but there will be Destiel. Bear with me because I'm already working on the time stamp to this and it will be Destiel with minor Sabriel. I followed most of the prompt, but as always, I took it and changed a few things. John is a GOOD FATHER in this one. I do hope you like this story, and
> 
>  
> 
> **[JenSpinner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenSpinner/profile) \- ** I hope I did your prompt justice. 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Here is the original prompt:
> 
>  
> 
> John Winchester wants grandchildren. In fact, he wants them so much, that he has had enough of both his son's 'playboy' attitudes.
> 
>  
> 
> He arranges an array of suitors for his sons.
> 
>  
> 
> Sam gets set up with Castiel, they spend the night together, go on a few dates but don't 'click' the way that John wants and things fizzle out...
> 
>  
> 
> Meanwhile, Dean goes on a very unsuccessful Gadreel, afterward refusing to be set up by his father again...
> 
>  
> 
> When John sets up Sam with Cole and things turn violent, Cole being an overly aggressive alpha trying to 'take' Sam against his will, feeling threatened by an omega being so much taller than him. Gabriel Novak who recognizes Sam from seeing him with his brother Castiel and is also an alpha steps in and saves Sam.
> 
>  
> 
> Gabe and Sam start dating and eventually get engaged.. At the engagement party, Castiel meets Dean...
> 
>  
> 
> Dean likes Castiel - but then realises he was Sam's one night stand from their fathers set-ups.

 

 

 

 

 

John unlocked the door to his sons’ apartment and let himself in.  If one of them had responded to his calls or emails during the week, and had actually shown up for their monthly lunch today, he wouldn’t have to just show up like this, but they hadn’t.  He didn’t even know if they were alive.

The first thing that hit him was the smell of Alpha.  His boys were both Omegas. It made his nose twitch and set him on edge.  Female Alpha. A cursory look around the living room revealed that clothing had been strewn about.  He leaned down and picked up a pair of black, lace panties and scowled. 

After tossing them aside again, he headed down the hall towards the bedrooms.  He sent up a silent prayer that neither of his boys were currently in…compromising positions.  Hopefully they wouldn’t be, considering it was almost 2:30 in the afternoon. 

He approached Sam’s room first, as it was the nearer of the two bedrooms, and put his ear to the door.  The scent of Alpha arousal wafting out from under the closed door was hours old, and listening, he could hear the soft sounds of snoring.  Good. He pulled back and pounded his fist against the door.

“Sam Winchester, you better get your sorry ass out of that bed!”  He bellowed. The sound of fumbling and someone clearly falling out of bed brought a bitter smile to his face, and he crossed his arms, waiting for the door to open.  It took a good five minutes before it did, and then the flushed, embarrassed face of his younger son was staring back at him.

“Dad, uh, what are you doing here?”  Sam glanced nervously over his father’s shoulder towards his brother’s door before meeting his father’s angry gaze again.

“What do you think?  You boys haven’t picked up your phone in over a week, and I got to the restaurant today and sat there almost an hour waiting for you two knuckleheads.  Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is? I was forced to come and make sure you two fools were still alive, and what do I see when I walk in the door?   _ Panties _ .  The whole apartment reeks of Alpha pheromones so bad I’m sure your neighbors are smelling it.”  John glared at the woman cowering on Sam’s bed. At least she had clothes on. He was glad she wasn’t challenging him; he was in no mood to whoop some young Alpha to teach them a lesson.

“Shit, I didn’t realize it had been so long,” Sam murmured.  He had the decency to drop his eyes in submission.

“That’s no excuse, Sam. I’m your Alpha. It’s my job to keep you safe. I let you two move into your own place, unmated. The condition was that when I call, you answer, and we are to have our monthly lunches. Where’s your brother?”

Sam’s eyes flickered to the door across the hall.  It was enough of an answer for John. He stomped over to the other door and flung it open.

“What the  _ hell _ , Dean!” he shouted.  His eldest was sitting in the center of his bed with two Betas on either side of him.  All three looked frightened.

“Dad, I can explain…”  Dean held his hands out in an attempt to placate the angry Alpha, but his father simply growled and bared his fangs.  The girls squeaked in fear, grabbed their clothes and when John stepped aside, scurried from the room. A moment later he heard the front door open and then close again. 

“Explain why you dropped off the face of the planet?  Why I haven’t heard from either of you? Explain why you have multiple people in your bed?” 

Dean dropped his eyes in submission and remained quiet.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.  Get your ass in the shower, both of you.  You have exactly one hour to be at my house.”  John looked back to see that the Alpha in Sam’s room had slipped out with the other two.

Dean wrapped the blanket around his waist and hurried into his private bathroom while Sam shuffled towards the main one.  Still furious, John stomped back out of the apartment and made the drive home. He needed to cool down before he dealt with his kids.  It was long past time that they should be acting like mature, responsible adults, and yet they continued acting like reckless, newly presented pups.  Today he was putting a stop to that. He’d indulged them for far too long now. Things were about to change.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

John was in his office, his reading glasses perched on the end of his nose, busy writing something down when his sons let themselves into the house. 

“Dad?”  Dean poked his head into the office, and John finally looked up.

“Come in, sit down, both of you.”  He motioned towards the two leather armchairs.  They walked in, both sitting down slowly, their eyes locked on their father.  At least he didn’t smell furious anymore, but he was still deeply irritated.

“I’m really sorry, Dad, I should have called.  I got caught up at work, and…” Dean frowned.  _ And sleeping with any available Beta that showed an interest… _  He couldn’t say  _ that _ to his father or the man might have a stroke.

“Uh huh, I’m past your excuses.  I know how much you’ve been working, you work for me, remember?  You’re set to inherit the family business. I can only guess what you’re doing in your down time, and I’m sure it includes bending over for whatever wolf you bring back to your bed.”

Dean felt the hot flare of anger at his father’s accusation.  Even if it was sort of true, he hated being called out like that.  He crossed his arms and glared at the wall sullenly. Sam wisely remained quiet beside him. 

“We’re all that’s left of our pack, sons.  When I’m gone, there isn’t an Alpha to take over.  That means you’re going to have to integrate into another pack.  If I die before that happens, you both know where you’ll end up.”  John watched the look of fear that crossed over his boys’ faces.

“I’m not going to no goddamn  _ farm _ ,”  Dean growled.  Sam nodded in agreement.

“Neither am I.”

“You won’t have a choice.  The law states that unmated Omegas go to a home, where they’ll either be mated off to one of the asshole Alphas that come through there looking for a submissive little bitch to beat up on a regular basis, or you’ll die there when you’re old and gray.”  John slid his glasses off and pursed his lips.

“Or we’ll get whored out,” Dean grumbled.

“Yes, that’s a possibility.  I’m trying to prevent that from happening,”  John said. He heaved a sigh as he sat back in his chair and ran his fingers through his dark locks.  There was more gray in them than there had been even a few months ago. It showed when he shifted too.  “Look, Dean, I’ve given you 15 years to choose a mate. That’s more than most Alphas would do for their pups.  You’re 30 this year and still unmated, yet you act like a horny, newly presented pup. That’s going to stop now.”

Dean sat up, more alert, worry seeping into his scent.  He glanced nervously at his brother to see the same look on his face.

“What do you mean?”

“I  _ mean _ , I’m selecting Alphas for you.  Choose one, or I’ll choose one for you,” John replied. Both his boys gaped at him for a moment. Sam was the one to finally speak up.

“We get to choose though?”

“Sam!”  Dean glared at his brother.  Sam shot him a look of annoyance before turning his attention back to their father.

“Yes, Sam.  But you don’t get to take years to choose one.  I won’t be around much longer, so you have to select one within the year.”

“Wait, what?  What do you mean you won’t be around?”  Dean demanded. “Are you sick or something?”

John’s gaze softened as he looked at his eldest.  “Yes, Dean, I’m sick. I just got the diagnosis. I’m going to put up one hell of a fight, but the prognosis isn’t good.  My time in the Marines, I was exposed to some pretty nasty chemicals, and it has finally caught up to me. All of my friends that served with me, they’re all dead now, save for one.  So you’re going to do this. I need to secure your safety before I pass. The selection of available Alphas is rather limited since you boys aren’t so young anymore, but I have compiled a list of interested ones.  You’ll go on your first dates tonight.”

Dean was still numb from his father’s revelation that he was sick.  That he was  _ dying _ .  The realization that he’d pretty much just fucked around for his entire adult life, and most of his teen years, hit him hard.  It wasn’t that he didn’t want to mate, it was that he’d been having too much fun. He wanted a mate that would love him and respect him like his father had loved and respected their mother. The people he brought home, they weren’t the types to ever want to settle down, and he realized his mistake, albeit too late.

“How long?”  Sam asked. 

“I’m stage two currently.  If the treatment I’m about to start works, I might make it a few years.  If it doesn’t…I’ll be lucky to make it to the end of the year,” John replied.

“Shit.”  The word slipped out on his exhalation, and Sam stared blankly at the bookcase behind his father.  “Shit,” he repeated.

“Who am I going out with tonight?”  Dean asked meekly. 

“His name is Gadreel Anderson.  He’s the son of Marv, our accountant.” 

Dean tried to remember if he’d ever met this “Gadreel.”  He knew who Marv was. The guy was old and creepy, not to mention that he smelled like urine all the time.  He knew it was just how he perceived the man’s scent, but it was pretty gross. The leering grins Marv always gave when he had to deal with the man made him deeply uncomfortable.  He hoped Gadreel smelled better than his father, and that he was at least remotely attractive.

“Yeah, ok.  What time?”

“Six.  He will pick you up here,” John replied. Dean let out a sigh and slumped down in his chair. He had no choice but to give this dude a chance.

“And me?”  Sam inquired.

“Castiel Shurley.  His father is Pastor Charles Shurley.  From your mama’s church. He’s a lawyer, which is why I selected him.”

Sam stared at his hands which were folded in his lap and nodded.

“At least we’ll have something in common.”

“It’s not fair.  We can go out, get jobs, live our lives, as long as our pack Alpha is alive to what, own us?  The threat of being sent to one of those…internment camps should not even be an option! It’s not like me and Sam can’t take care of ourselves,” Dean snapped angrily.

“Dean, I’m well aware of the antiquated laws, and how unfair they are.  You want change, write to your congressman, join in the protests that are going on everywhere,  _ vote _ .  But don’t whine to me about how unfair they are when you’re too busy getting laid to stand up for your rights,” John snapped.  The flames of Dean’s fire were instantly snuffed out. His father was right. He’d done nothing his entire life to help initiate change for himself, or for Omegas everywhere.  Omegas had only just earned the right to vote a mere 60 years earlier. It didn’t prevent them from still getting shipped off if they didn’t mate. The laws were so backwards…

“And me?  Where is this Castiel guy picking me up?”  Sam asked.

“At your apartment.  Dress nice, he’s taking you out to a restaurant with reservations,” John replied.

Both of his sons fell silent.  He could smell the misery and anger on them as well as an underlying scent of fear.  They were afraid, not of settling down but that he hadn’t made good choices for them.

“If it doesn’t work out with these guys, there are other options, right?”  Sam wondered.

“A few,” his father conceded. 

“What if we find one on our own?”

“Then you find one on your own.  Whichever way you get one doesn’t matter to me.  I’d like to see grandkids if possible before I die.  To see my bloodline continue.” John stood up and came around to stand between their chairs.  Both Omegas turned so they could look up at him as he placed a hand on each of their shoulders.  “Your mother was thrilled when she bore two Omega pups. She didn’t care what your orientation was, and neither did I.  We were going to raise you right, see you mate with the Alphas you finally chose, and spoil whatever grandchildren you gave us.  I know she died too young, but I also know that my Mary would be sorely disappointed in your behavior since you’ve presented. Do your mother proud, even if you don’t want to do it for me.”

“That’s low, Dad,”  Dean said. “It’s not that I don’t want to mate, I just…I let too much time pass.  I didn’t mean to wait till I was 30.”

“I know, son.  My own father nagged at me to take a mate, starting as soon as I presented, but I was a wild pup, thought I had all the time in the world.  Before I could blink, I was 25, alone, longing for a mate and pups. It wasn’t too long after that when I met your ma. It was love at first sight, at least for me.  Her dad didn’t approve of me, but she had declined all the Alphas he’d chosen for her. I felt like the luckiest Alpha in the world when she chose me. It took some serious convincing, but her dad finally came around.  She was 19 and so incredibly beautiful. I knew she was my mate the moment I met her. She said she knew it too. We had four good years together before we decided to bring a pup into the world. It gave me the chance to expand my business, but it also gave me time to pamper my mate, to focus only on her until we were ready for kids.  Oh, she was the happiest Omega in the world when we learned she was pregnant with you, Dean. We were both so incredibly happy. You were the perfect pup too. We were in love with you from the moment we learned you were growing in her belly. 

“We were just as happy when she got pregnant with Sam.  Didn’t matter that both our pups were Omegas. It still doesn’t.  You’re my sons,  _ her _ sons, and we always loved you unconditionally.  But boys, it’s time to grow up. Sam,” John turned his gaze to his youngest, “boy, you work for the district attorney. You have to know that your behavior can come back on you later.”

Sam hung his head, giving a small nod of acknowledgement.  “Yes, sir, I know.”

“And Dean, really?   _ Two _ Betas?”  John’s chastisement was not as harsh as it had been earlier, but it stung nonetheless.

“I…don’t have an answer for that.  They were twins.” Dean couldn’t help but grin.  Sam snickered in the seat beside him. John cuffed them both lightly in the back of the head, though he held in his amusement.  Oh to be young again…

“I want you both to go home, get ready, and dress nice.”

“This Gad guy, is he at least good looking?”  Dean asked.

“He’s way the hell better looking than his father,” John replied, a sly grin making its way onto his face.  Both of his sons laughed at that.

“Thank God.”  Dean laughed. “Is he taking me somewhere fancy?”

“He said he was taking you out to dinner, so he could get to know you.”

“So, I should wear what, exactly?”  Dean was doing a mental check of his wardrobe.  He had a few dress shirts and some slacks. Most of his wardrobe consisted of jeans, tee shirts and flannel.  He was a mechanic after all.

“A dress shirt and nice pants.  I’ll loan you a blazer if need be,”  John replied.

“Why does he have to pick me up here?”  Dean asked.

“Because he’s traditional.  Wants to meet your Alpha before he takes you out.” 

Internally, Dean groaned.  He hated traditionalists, and he hated that his father had chosen one for him.  Already he didn’t like the guy.

“Both of you go home, get ready.  Dean, be back here no later than 5:30.”

Both Omegas got to their feet and started for the door.  Neither was very enthusiastic as they bid John goodbye and left.  Once he heard the front door close, he turned his eyes towards the heavens.

“Mary, I know you’re up there watching over our boys.  Guide them, will ya? Help them choose the Alpha that’s right for them,  _ before  _ I come home to join you.”

With a sigh he returned to his seat behind the desk.  He hoped at least one of the dates tonight worked out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Sam~**

Dean had left to go to their father’s at five, and Sam was left to wait for this Castiel guy on his own.  He hadn’t been on an actual “date” since college, when he’d been seeing another Omega named Jessica. They’d dated through most of college but, unable to actually mate, they’d parted ways at the end of their junior year.  He’d loved her deeply, but she had decided she was ready for her Alpha mate, and she’d initiated the break up. It had been painful, and a part of him still cared deeply for her, but he understood the biological need to seek out an Alpha.  Hell, he’d been feeling it for years, he’d just gotten really good at ignoring it.

Tonight was set to be his first real date in close to seven years.  His father was right though. They’d acted like wild pups for much too long now, and if he was being honest, the need to find his Alpha was only getting stronger the older he was getting.  It was worse for Dean, even if his brother didn’t talk about it. He’d caught Dean rubbing absently at his shoulder quite a lot the last five or six years, right where he’d get his mating bite.  But he only brought home Betas. Sam assumed it was to prevent accidental mating. Betas were unaffected by the mating pheromones and didn’t require mating bites in order to take a mate.

As he dressed in his nicest suit and brushed back his hair, he wondered what this Castiel guy would be like.  Would he be tall? Taller than him? The Omegas on his father’s side of the family were pretty big, and he was one of the tallest at 6’4.  Dean was 6’2. Most of the Alphas he’d been with over the years were shorter than him, and he didn’t really mind that. 

When the doorbell rang, his stomach immediately clenched.  Why was he nervous? Oh, right, because this wasn’t just a one nighter.  This was supposed to be a potential mate. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he went to answer the door.

He wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when he opened it, but the Alpha standing on the other side of the door was not it.  He was shorter than Sam, which wasn’t surprising, with a head full of messy, dark hair and a five o’clock shadow. It looked like he hadn’t shaved since the day before.  His blue eyes were sharp as they appraised him, and it put Sam on edge.

“Uh, hey, Castiel, right?”

The Alpha offered his hand.  “Yes, and you are Sam, not Dean, correct?”  His voice was much deeper than Sam expected.  Sort of gravelly. He wasn’t sure he liked it.

“I’m Sam.”  He shook hands with Castiel.  It was brief, reminding him of how he shook hands with people in the courtroom.

“I have 6:30 reservations.  It has been recommended that I take you out somewhere nice for our first date.”  The Alpha squinted, as if he weren’t sure he should be revealing that. Sam smiled and reached for his coat, which hung on a peg behind the door.

“Alright, where are we going?” 

He closed and locked the door before slipping his coat on and following the Alpha down the stairs.

“I made reservations at Porter’s, have you ever eaten there?”  Castiel asked as they walked out to his car. Sam winced when he saw what the man drove. It was one of those hybrid cars which, yeah, great for the environment, bad for people who were 6’4.  Seeming to be oblivious, the Alpha opened the passenger door for him.

“I don’t think I’ve even heard of it.”  Sam squeezed himself in and immediately moved the seat back to make room for his legs.  It only helped a little. This car was just  _ too _ small for him.

“It’s a steakhouse.  Excellent food. Great burgers, too, if you like them,”  Castiel said as he slid in behind the wheel.

“I don’t eat a whole lot of red meat, but a steak once in a while is good.  My brother’s the one that’s a fan of burgers.” Sam smiled politely as Castiel started the car and pulled away from the curb.

“Your father tells me you’re a lawyer, that you work for the D.A.?”  The Alpha glanced over at him. Sam nodded.

“Uh, yes, I’ve worked for her for about three years now.”

“That’s quite admirable.  Do you like what you do?”

“Definitely.  I haven’t worked that many cases yet, but I’m slowly gaining experience.  I’ve won two of the three cases I worked on this year.” Sam replied. 

“It’s good to earn experience.  I too am a lawyer, not sure if you knew that; however, I do business law.  I became a lawyer at my mother’s insistence. She wanted me to join her brother’s firm.  That did not end very well. My uncle is unpleasant to work for, so I opened my own firm.  I now have more clients than him. I very much like what I do.” Castiel talked as he drove, but Sam could tell he was tense, probably no more comfortable than he was.  First dates could be so awkward.

They chatted mostly about work all the way to the restaurant, and once they arrived, Sam’s attention was drawn to the smells emanating from the place.  Dean would love it here, he thought. He wondered where his brother’s date was taking him tonight. 

Castiel came around to his side and opened the door for him.  It took some fumbling to get his long legs back  _ out _ of the car and once he was standing, he felt much better.

“I apologize, it would seem my car is much too small.”  The Alpha frowned as he seemed to size up his vehicle. “I also own an Oldsmobile, ’78.  Perhaps I should have driven that instead.”

“Hey, if we go on a second date, you can definitely drive that.” Sam gave him a reassuring smile and was pleased when the Alpha gave a small one in return.

Walking inside, he did his own assessment of the Alpha.  Castiel was dressed in a navy blue suit that he looked nice in, but it was covered by the huge, tan trench coat he wore over it, and his tie was on backwards.  It had him wondering about the man and about how he even did business if he couldn’t put a tie on right. The Alpha was at least attractive and his scent wasn’t offensive.  He hoped he smelled ok in return.

They stood in silence while they waited for their table.  It seemed normal for Castiel, but Sam found it to be rather uncomfortable.  He was used to talking to people; he was a fairly amicable person by nature.  When their table was ready, he almost breathed a sigh of relief. He really hoped they’d find something to talk about over dinner.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

After taking their coats off and sitting down, Castiel turned his piercing blue gaze back on Sam again.  The Omega lifted his eyebrows in question, waiting for him to say something.

“I apologize, I must seem very…awkward.” 

Ok, not what Sam had expected him to say.

“It’s ok, I’m nervous too,” he said, trying to get the man to relax.  A small furrow formed between the Alpha’s eyes.

“I don’t really get out much.  This is my first date in a while.”

“Same for me,” Sam said.  That earned him another small smile.

“What do you do for fun?”

“Well, mostly I read. I also am part of a runner’s group, and I do marathons regularly.  I also enjoy documentaries. I go hiking and camping with my brother. We went rock climbing last summer, and white water rafting.  It was a blast.” Sam smiled as he remembered how much fun he and Dean had the summer before. He’d tried to talk his brother into skydiving, but Dean had been too scared.  Castiel smiled wide, finally starting to relax.

“Really?  What do you like to read?”

From there the ice seemed to be broken and they talked all through dinner.  The conversation came much more easily as they realized they had quite a lot in common. Sam passed on dessert, but Castiel wanted a slice of apple pie. 

When their dinner was over and Castiel had finished paying, they made their way back out to the car to start the drive back to Sam’s.

“I think perhaps, if you are amenable to it, for our second date, we could…visit a museum?”  Castiel asked. Sam smiled and nodded.

“That would be great.  I hear the natural history museum is doing a series on the origin of the wolf.  I’ve been meaning to go see it.”

“I heard about that.  I would like to see that as well.  How about we do dinner once more this week and come next Saturday we’ll head up to the museum?”  Castiel had parked in front of the apartment and turned in his seat to look at him. 

“Sure.  How about we go to the sushi bar on 5 th street?  They have fantastic food,”  Sam suggested. Castiel smiled and nodded.

“That would be nice; I do like sushi.”

The Alpha insisted on walking him to his door and bid him a polite goodnight before turning to go.  Sam made his way inside to find his brother standing there, looking ready to explode. He cocked an eyebrow as he took his coat off and hung it up.

“Bad date?”

“You don’t know the half of it,”  Dean growled.


	3. Chapter 3

**Dean~**

He’d dressed in his nicest button down and a pair of black dress pants, but it had taken him 20 minutes of searching in the back of his closet to find his black patent leather shoes.  The only reason he owned them was because he’d stood up two years earlier in his friend Charlie’s wedding. They pinched, though, and he’d be glad to come home and take them off later. 

After shaving and styling his hair, he’d put his outfit on and made the drive to his dad’s.  John was waiting for him, a freshly pressed blazer in hand. He and his dad were roughly the same size, and the blazer fit rather nicely.

“You can keep that one; I have four more.  I don’t wear that one, it’s a bit too snug in the shoulders for me,” John explained.  He stepped back to assess his son’s outfit. “You look good. I think he’ll be impressed.”

Dean held his tongue.  He wasn’t looking forward to this date, not at all.  The one thing he avoided like the plague were traditionalists.  The doorbell rang, and John smiled wide before going to answer it.  Dean had been waiting in his father’s office, but he moved to the doorway to listen as his father spoke with Gadreel.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir, my father speaks very highly of you,” Gadreel said.

“Your father speaks highly of you as well.  I understand that you’re taking Dean out to dinner tonight. Do you know where you’re going?” John asked.

“Oh, yes, there’s this new restaurant downtown that serves all organic food.  I’ve eaten there before, and it’s very good.”

Dean cringed at the Alpha’s words. He knew  _ exactly _ which restaurant Gadreel was talking about; it was the vegan one Charlie kept raving about.  The one he’d sworn to never step foot in. Now he was being dragged to it. Fuck!

“Dean?  Come out here.”  John called. Dean cursed softly under his breath before making his way out to the living room.  He glanced nervously at his father before finally looking at his date. His dad had been right, Gadreel was much more attractive than his father, and much taller too.  Dean was looking the man in the eye. 

“Dean, this is Gadreel Anderson.  Gadreel, this is my son, Dean.” John made the introduction and then stepped back so they could say hello to one another.

“Uh, hey,” Dean said awkwardly.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dean.”  Gadreel offered his hand, and Dean shook it quickly.

“Nice to meet you too.  I didn’t realize Marv even had kids.” 

“Well, technically, he’s my stepfather, but he raised my sister and me, so to me, he’s my father.”  Gadreel spoke softly, in an unnervingly calm voice. So far though, he was at least polite, even if it was just in front of John.

“Oh,” Dean said, suddenly feeling stupid.  What was he supposed to say to that? Gadreel offered his arm, smiling politely. 

“Shall we?”

Dean stared at his arm for a second.  Did he  _ really _ have to take it?  His father was watching though, so for his sake, he did.  John bid them goodnight and closed the door behind them as Gadreel led Dean down to his car, which was parked in the driveway.  A BMW. Why was that not surprising? The Alpha opened the passenger door for him, and Dean slid in without a word.

The inside smelled like chemical cleaners, and he could tell the car had been recently cleaned.  Judging by the expensive suit the Alpha wore, he probably had a fancier job than his dad, Marv, and paid people to clean his car for him.  Gadreel slid in behind the wheel and started the car.

“I just had the car cleaned this afternoon; I wanted it to be perfect for you,”  he said as he secured his seatbelt and put the car in reverse. Dean smiled weakly as he put his own seatbelt on.  He preferred to clean his own car, and he kept it spotless. No one was allowed to mess with his baby; she was an antique.

“So, uh, where are we going?”  Dean asked. He didn’t want to let on that he’d overheard the two Alphas talking.  Maybe, by some miracle Gadreel had just been lying to John to earn the man’s approval, and they were actually going somewhere cool, where he could get a burger.

“There’s a new restaurant downtown, A New Leaf.  The food there is wonderful,” Gadreel replied. Dean frowned.  It was that vegan place. 

“Isn’t that the vegan place?  My friend goes there with her mate sometimes.”

“It is, and the cuisine is fantastic.”  Gadreel was smiling wider. Dean frowned even more.

“I’m not vegan.”

Gadreel’s smile never wavered, nor did he look in Dean’s direction.  “It’s good food, and good for you. You won’t even miss the meat, I promise.”

Dean wanted to argue.  It felt like he should.  He had the right to refuse, but his father would be sorely disappointed if he didn’t give this date a chance.  He slumped back in his seat and stared out the window. 

Gadreel was not much of a talker and didn’t press Dean for conversation on the drive, and for that the Omega was grateful.  When they arrived, there was valet and the Alpha handed over his keys. Dean was out of the car before he could come and open his door for him.  Traditionalist or not, he could open his own damn door. He saw the displeased look on Gadreel’s face when Dean got out without his assistance, but it disappeared quickly as he offered his arm.  It was clear to the Omega that they were not heading inside until he took it. With a roll of his eyes that he made sure the Alpha did  _ not _ see, he did take it, and a second later he was being led inside the restaurant.

It smelled like flowers and grass inside.  Dean couldn’t tell if that was the food, the staff, or some sort of incense. He spied a diffuser on the shelf behind the counter.  Gadreel gave his name, because apparently this place was fancy enough to need reservations, and moments later they were being led to their table.  He held Dean’s chair out for him, which the Omega found rather embarrassing, and once he was seated, moved around to the seat across from him and sat down. 

“It’s a lovely atmosphere, don’t you think?” he asked.  Dean looked around. There was an indoor waterfall, some sort of fancy fountain set up to look like one, he guessed, live flowers growing all around the room in large pots, and actual linen on the tables.  It was fancy, more so than he was used to.

“It’s…nice,” he conceded.  Not the type of place he’d normally go to, and he had no intentions of ever coming here again. 

Their server arrived to get their drink order, and before Dean could say what he wanted, Gadreel was ordering for him.

“We’ll have a bottle of your nicest wine.”

“I don’t drink wine,” Dean spoke up.  The server looked nervously between them when Gadreel’s smile fell away.  Dean almost cowered under it. Almost. He didn’t submit to any Alpha. “What kind of beer do you have?”

“We don’t carry beer, I’m sorry.  This is a completely vegan establishment,”  the server replied.

“Dean,”  Gadreel frowned.  Why did it sound like there was a warning in his tone?  That just irked Dean even more.

“Then do you have Guinness?  I know that’s vegan.” Dean stared back at the Alpha, daring him to challenge his choice of drink.

“We do.”  The server looked to Gadreel as if for approval.

“That’s what I want.  It’s my choice, not his,” Dean said firmly.  He could see the muscles in the Alpha’s jaw clench and unclench several times before he turned a polite smile to the server.

“If he wishes to have Guinness, get the man a Guinness.  I, however, will have a glass of Merlot.”

The server nodded and hurried away.  Gadreel took a deep breath and Dean braced himself for an argument, or to be insulted, but instead he simply opened his menu and began looking through it.

“Oh, they’ve added squash to the menu,” he murmured.  “Must be in season.”

Dean frowned as he opened his own menu.  He read every item on it twice. Aside from potatoes, and maybe peas or corn, he didn’t think there was anything on it that he’d willingly eat.  He was reading it for a third time when the server returned with their drinks, ready to take their orders.

“Have you decided what you would like to try this evening?”  The man, a Beta judging by his scent, asked.

“Yes, we’ll start with your squash bisque, followed by your beet, mushroom and avocado salad.  I’ll have your linguine with wild mushrooms, and Dean will have your black bean enchiladas.”

“Hey, I can order for myself.”  Dean bit back his words so that he wasn’t snapping at the Alpha.  Gadreel’s gaze was cool when their eyes met.

“Did you know what you wanted then?”

Dean turned to look at the server.  “I’m not vegan. This is my first time eating here.  What do you have that would even remotely taste like a burger?”

The server frowned for a moment before pointing to something on the menu.

“It’s not really a burger, but it’s the closest thing we have.”

A black bean burger.  Why did that sound like something Sam would eat?  If he had to suffer through tonight, he guessed he could tolerate vegan food for one meal.

“Fine, I’ll have that.”

“You get two sides.”  The server told him.

“The orzo is good.”  Gadreel murmured.

“What is it?”  Dean asked.

“It’s a pasta,” the server said.

Dean found the sides and saw all sorts of things he had no clue what they were.  He recognized a few words, like quinoa and tofu, but the rest was lost on him. 

“Sure, ok, I’ll try the one with the roasted red peppers and onions.”

Gadreel pulled a face but wisely kept his mouth shut.  When the server was gone, having taken the menus with him, the Alpha turned his attention to Dean.

“So you work for your father?”

“With. I work  _ with _ him. It’s my legacy, and one day I’ll inherit the business.”  Dean took pride in that. One day Gadreel’s father would be working for  _ him _ .

“What are your plans once you do inherit it?”  Gadreel asked. Dean was caught off guard by the question.

“Uh, well, I was thinking I’d expand some more, keep adding shops like we’ve been doing, maybe add in some more services, like detailing and antique rebuilds, but not in every shop, just in some of them.” 

“No, I meant what do you intend to do with your mate?  What are your plans with that?” 

Dean didn’t think he’d ever frowned so much in a single night as he was tonight.

“I haven’t much thought about it.  I mean, I figured I’d mate, have a couple of kids, and raise them up in the business, like my dad did with my brother and me.”

Gadreel was frowning now, though it was subtle.  Dean was having a hard time picking up on his scent with all of the damn flowers in the room.

“I would think you’d want to stay home, let the Alphas run the business.”

That sparked something hot and bitter in the Omega.

“Well, when my dad dies, the business goes to  _ me _ , not my mate, and I would never just let other people run it for me when I’m perfectly capable of running it for myself.  Just because I have pups doesn’t mean I can’t still work.”

There was a flash of red in the Alpha’s eyes, a sign that Dean had definitely pushed him too far, but he didn’t care.  He was already done with this date, and definitely with Gadreel. As calmly as he could manage, he stood up, smoothing his hands down the front of his blazer.

“I am not looking for a traditionalist mate, which you clearly are.  This just is not going to work out. I will inform the kitchen that they need not bother with preparing my meal.  I’ll find my own way home.”

He could hear Gadreel protesting as he walked away, but he really just did not give a shit.  After stopping at the front desk to let them know that his meal was to be cancelled, he pulled his phone out and ordered a Lyft to pick him up from the bar across the street.  If Gadreel followed him out, he didn’t want the man trying to force him back inside.

His ride arrived quickly, which he was thankful for, and as he headed home, he called his dad.

“Dean?  Aren’t you supposed to be on your date?”  John asked by way of a greeting.

“I’m sorry, Dad, but it didn’t work out.  He’s an asshole, and I can’t handle traditionalists, you know that.  He tried to order my drink and my food for me, then tried to imply that I couldn’t run the business later if I have a mate and pups.  Like I’m supposed to give up  _ my _ dreams just to keep a house clean and spend my every waking hour with pups running underfoot?  No thank you!” He was frustrated and angry. Thankfully his father wasn’t upset.

“Yes, well, I thought he might not work out.  Shame too, he’s a doctor, makes good money.”

“I make good money.  I make  _ my own _ money,”  Dean growled.

“Yes, son, I’m well aware,” John sighed.  “I have another one, her name is Carmen. I’ll arrange a date for tomorrow night.”

Dean grumbled under his breath before finally letting out an annoyed exhale.

“Fine.  Text me the time I should be ready.”

“I will.  Go home and get some rest,” John told him.

“I need to go home and eat, is what I need.  I walked out before I got to try any of that shitty food he was trying to order for me.  I’m starving.”

John chuckled on the other end.  “Fine, go home and eat. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Yeah, bye,” Dean muttered before hanging up.  He stared out the window the rest of the way home.  Fucking Alphas with their domineering personalities.  That was a pack he did  _ not _ want to be a part of.


	4. Chapter 4

Once he got home he stripped out of his clothes and changed into a comfy pair of pajama pants and an old, worn tee shirt.  Sam wasn’t home yet, so at least someone’s date was going well. He wondered if they’d be coming back here to have sex. It was probably a bad idea to sleep with an Alpha on the first date, but he wouldn’t know, he’d only ever dated Betas.

There was leftover pasta in the fridge, and he ate that cold with a piece of crusty French bread slathered in butter.  There was chicken in the pasta and he relished every bite. No way could he eat vegan; he was a wolf, damn it! He craved meat!  He washed his meal down with a beer and then washed his bowl and fork. Who did Gadreel think he was, trying to order for him? He’d never even asked what Dean liked, he’d just decided on his behalf.  What kind of a-hole did that? His father had  _ always _ asked their mother what she wanted, how she felt, and he’d craved her opinion.  Dean’s memories of his mother were vague, but he remembered how much his father had loved and respected his mother.  That was the kind of relationship he wanted, not some controlling Alpha telling him what he could and couldn’t do. He could only imagine how awful Gadreel would become after bonding.  The thought made him shudder.

He just couldn’t calm down.  After grabbing a second beer he headed into the living room to kick back and watch some TV.  It was roughly an hour later when he heard keys in the door. He jumped up to greet his brother.  Sam took one look at his face and just knew.

“Bad date?”  Sam asked as he hung his coat up.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Dean growled.  Sam snorted as he loosened his tie and took his suit jacket off.

“Ok, so he was an asshole?”

“He’s a traditionalist.  Tried to order for me and then tried to tell me I should let the  _ Alphas _ run the company after Dad dies.  That I should be home, barefoot and pregnant!”  Dean had to force himself not to shout. Ok, so maybe he was exaggerating, but he wanted his brother to be as outraged as he was.

“Dude, that’s  _ not _ cool.”  Sam scowled as he removed his tie and unbuttoned his cuffs.

“I stood up and walked out before the food ever arrived.  I didn’t even get to take a drink of my Guinness. He took me to a damn  _ vegan _ restaurant, even after I told him I am not vegan.”

“As much as I love vegetables, even  _ I’m _ not vegan.”  Sam shook his head.  “You did the right thing, walking out.”

Dean felt vindicated, and for the first time all night, he allowed himself to calm down.  “How was your date?”

Sam shrugged.  “It was nice. We have a lot in common, but he’s a little…odd.  I don’t think he gets out much. He doesn’t share my taste in music, though, his tastes run closer to yours.  We’ve read some of the same books though. He practices business law.”

“You going to see him again?”  Dean asked.

“Yeah, actually.  We’re getting together for dinner this week, and then Saturday we’re going to the museum to see the wolf origin exhibit.” 

“Dude!  I wanted to see that too!”  Dean whined as he followed his brother down the hall, stopping in the doorway when Sam went inside.

“Well, this is a possible mate, so I should be doing stuff with him.” 

“Now who am I supposed to go see it with?” Dean pouted.

“You could always ask Dad,”  Sam suggested, unable to hide his grin.

“Fuck off,”  Dean laughed.  “I’ll ask Charlie and Gilda or something.”

“So, I take it you’re not seeing that guy again.”  Sam had stripped off his dress shirt and pants and changed into his pajamas while his brother leaned against the door frame and picked at his nails.

“No.  Dad’s setting up another date for me for tomorrow night.  Her name’s Carmen.”

“Carmen?  As in Carmen Porter?”  Sam cocked an eyebrow as he slid past his brother and headed for the living room.  Dean followed after him.

“I don’t know, he didn’t give her last name.”

“If it’s Carmen Porter, she’s hot, but she also doesn’t really want to settle down and have a mate.  She’s into multiple partners,” Sam explained.

“And that’s bad, why?”  Dean asked, grinning wickedly.

“You may like that now, but once you’re actually bonded to another person, the thought of them mating with another person is inconceivable for the Omega.  Alphas can still mate with other Omegas and Betas, like our ancestors did in order to ensure the pack’s survival, but as the generations came to pass, they pretty much stopped that behavior, and they take only one mate, and it’s for life.  Carmen…she has a boyfriend, a Beta named Dexter. I don’t foresee her giving him up.” Sam sat down on one end of the couch while Dean sat down in his original spot at the other end.

“So, what, you’re saying is, I’ll become possessive and clingy?”

“I’m saying no such thing.  I’m just telling you how we, as wolves, are designed.  You’ll find her hot, but you won’t like her ethics,” Sam replied.

Dean thought about his brother’s words while they watched the Harry Potter movie that had just started playing.

“How do you know her?” 

“Do you really want to know?”  Sam’s smirk made Dean’s stomach twist.

“Dude, you  _ slept _ with her?!”

Sam laughed at the look of shock and disgust on his brother’s face.

“Nah, I was just messing with you.  She’s a paralegal down at the Lesser and Brown offices.  We have crossed paths many times. She’s a flirt.”

“You’re a bitch.”  Dean threw one of the pillows at his brother’s head.  Sam laughed as he caught it and threw it back at him.

“Jerk!”


	5. Chapter 5

**Dean~**

 

Dinner with Carmen the following evening was nice, until Dexter made an appearance.  Sam hadn’t been lying. She’d made it clear that she would consider mating, as long as she could continue to see other people.  He’d asked her why she didn’t just bond with Dexter. Alphas could bond with Betas, no problem, though the bond wasn’t nearly as strong.  He figured that would be more appealing to her. She informed him that she already  _ was _ bonded to him, but was looking for an Omega or two (0r three) to add to their relationship.  Dean put the brakes on real fast after that when he realized where he would end up. Alone every night while his “mate” was out screwing other people.  Sam was right; the idea upset him, and he found himself getting jealous over a mate he didn’t even have yet. He declined a second date, and the offer of a threesome, instead heading home to reconsider exactly what it was that he was looking for in a potential mate. 

Wednesday, Sam went on his second date with Castiel.  Dean had agreed to try dating one more Alpha, a man named Michael.  He was gorgeous and Dean found himself instantly attracted but as the date came to a close, Michael informed him that the attraction did not go both ways, and  _ he _ was declining a second date. That hurt.  A lot. No one had ever rejected him like that, and he went home to lick his wounds.  He also had to inform his father of what Michael had said, and tell him there wouldn’t be a second date.

“I’ll find another one, son, it’s ok.”  John had assured him.

“No, Dad, don’t bother.  I’ll either find one on my own or I’ll just…”  He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know, but I’m not letting my mate be chosen for me, ok?”

“Dean-”

“No, Dad.  Please, I’ve struck out three times now.  None of them have what I want, and where Michael is concerned, apparently I’m too blue collar for his snobby ass.  I’ll stop sleeping with Betas and I'll actively look for a mate, but I want to do it myself.”

John was quiet on the other end of the line for a long enough time that Dean had to pull the phone away from his ear to make sure the call hadn’t dropped.

“Dad?”

“The treatment is working, but not as well as they had estimated.  I’ll be lucky if I make it a year. The cancer has spread from my lungs into my other organs.” 

Dean’s stomach fell at the news.  “Jesus, Dad…”

“It’s ok, son, I’m ready to go home and see your ma.  She’s been waiting a long time for me as it is. I miss her something fierce.”  John’s voice cracked and Dean just knew his father was crying. His own eyes filled with tears, and he swallowed hard against the painful lump in his throat.

“I promise I’ll make an active effort, ok?  But I want a good Alpha, someone that will love me like you loved Mom.”

“I want that for you and Sam both.”  John’s voice was soft. Dean could hear him crying softly, and his heart ached at the sound.

“We know.  And we’ll find them, I promise.”

After hanging up with his father, Dean couldn’t shake the dark cloud hanging over his head.  He felt under pressure to find a mate, and soon. It was a miserable, daunting task to pursue, but he’d have to do it if he wanted to stay out of one of those shitty homes for unbonded Omegas.  It was time to get out and meet new people, ones he could possibly see a future with, except he didn’t know where to even start. 


	6. Chapter 6

**Sam~**

 

The night spent at the museum was nice, but they weren’t clicking like Sam had hoped.  He chalked it up to the fact Castiel reminded him too much of himself. He wanted someone that was different, that could spark passion in him, and make him view the world differently.  Castiel just didn’t do it for him. Still, when they got back to the apartment that night, he invited him in for drinks. Dean wasn’t home. He was probably out with Charlie and Gilda, trying to meet available, interested Alphas after his previous unsuccessful dates.  Castiel accepted, and after Sam had served them both a glass of wine, they’d lounged around on the couch, talking about the exhibit, about law, history, and other various interests they shared. The Alpha was ridiculously polite, making no attempt to touch him or kiss him, not that he was sure he even wanted that.  He was still on the fence when it came to how he felt about Castiel.

He found himself wondering what the Alpha thought of him.  Sitting and talking with the man, it felt more like they were old friends than potential mates.  The more he got to know Castiel, the less he thought they were actually compatible. 

“Hey, Castiel, question.”

“Of course, Sam.  What’s on your mind?” 

“Do you feel at all like we’re clicking?  Does it feel like we’d be compatible as mates to you?”  Sam motioned between them. Castiel’s expression turned serious for a moment.

“Honestly?  No. But I do enjoy your company.  I don’t have many friends.”

Sam relaxed and smiled.  “Hey, I enjoy your company too.  It feels like I’m talking to an old friend when we’re together.  You’re way more mature than most of my friends, and I appreciate that.”

“I socialize with my brother more than anyone else, and he’s a big kid.  I love him, but he annoys the shit out of me.” Castiel said. Sam let out a startled laugh, caught off guard by the other man suddenly swearing.  He’d never heard him do that before.

“Oh, geez, is he older?”

Castiel rolled his eyes and nodded.  “You’d think he was 15 though, the way he acts sometimes.  Biologically, yes, he’d older. There are five of us, and surprisingly, I’m closest with him.  As annoying as he can be, he’s fun, and we get along well. I’m not as close with my sisters.”

“I’m close with my brother too.  He can be a brat sometimes, but he’s a good guy.  We used to have these prank wars when we were younger…”

Sam launched into story after story of the pranks he and Dean used to pull on one another, and to his delight, he learned that Castiel had similar stories about his brother Gabriel. 

“Come with me, I’ll show you some pictures of when I dyed Dean’s hair neon pink.  He was 14. I used my dad’s camera to take pictures. I did it while he was sleeping!”  He collected their empty wine glasses to leave in the sink and led Castiel to his bedroom to show him the secret photo album he had.

“He has no idea I took pictures, and he doesn’t know I have this album!”  Sam giggled maniacally, which had the Alpha grinning.

“I take it he would be upset if he knew.”

“It would trigger a new prank war.  He’s upped his game since then, and this time, I’m not so sure I’d win.  I think he’d try to shave my hair off while I was sleeping!”

Castiel let out a hearty laugh at that.  “Oh, my brother is so much worse!”

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Dean arrived home from another unsuccessful night out, weary and ready for bed.  The scent of Alpha hit him the moment he stepped into the apartment, and as he passed the kitchen, he saw two wine glasses in the sink.  So Sam had invited Castiel back. It looked like at least one of them was going to find a mate soon. He tried not to be envious of his little brother. 

Pausing outside his brother’s room, he could hear laughter and talking.  Odd for a night of sex. Not wanting to eavesdrop and hear his brother  _ actually _ having sex, he slipped into his own room and shut the door.  Tonight had been frustrating, to say the least. Charlie had helped him most of the night with talking to single Alphas at a bar downtown called the Kiss and Don’t Tell.  Stupid name, but the drinks were cheap and there were a lot of single Alphas in there. Unfortunately, most of them were nearly a decade younger. Barely 21 was too young for him, and most of them just wanted a night of hot sex, not commitment and bonding.  Frustrated, he’d just come home to wallow in his misery. After changing, taking a shower to wash off the smell of the bar and various handsy Alphas, he put on a clean pair of boxer briefs and crawled into bed. Tomorrow was another day. He’d try again then.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sam~**

 

Three days later Sam announced he had a date with an Alpha named Cole.

“What happened to Cas?”  Dean asked. Sam shrugged.

“We’re better off as friends.  We didn’t feel compatible as mates.”

“Seriously.”  Dean couldn’t believe it.  He’d thought Sam was happy with the guy.  He always smelled happy when he came back from their dates.

“Yes, so Dad arranged for me to go out tonight with this Cole guy.  I forget his last name. He’s an ex-marine, the son of one of Dad’s friends.”

“Oh.  Well, good luck, I guess.”  Dean was in the middle of making dinner when his brother had sprung the news on him.

“Thanks.  He’s taking me to dinner and then we’re going out for drinks.  I hope he’s nice,” Sam said absently as he tucked his dress shirt into his jeans.

“He better be or I’ll kick his ass, then Dad will kick it.  By then, he’ll be dead.” 

Sam chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair.  “This ok for dinner at The Roadhouse and drinks afterward?”

“You can have drinks right there at The Roadhouse, you know.”  Dean looked his brother over. “And yes, that’s fine.”

“Yeah, but if we stay, Ellen or Jo will bug us, and I don’t want that.” 

“True.”  Dean turned the stove off and moved his pasta to the strainer in the sink to drain.

“Ok, well, I’m meeting him there, so I better get going.”  Sam patted his pockets, making sure he had his phone, wallet, and keys.  “I guess I’ll see you later tonight.”

“Have fun.”  Dean watched his brother go with a touch of envy.  Sam was taking this whole dating thing in stride, and there always seemed to be new Alphas that were interested.  He wished his luck was as good as his brother’s, but so far he’d been striking out all across the board. Hopefully something would give, and soon. 

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Sam arrived at The Roadhouse with 15 minutes to spare.  He selected a booth and sat down to wait. 

“What are you doing here, sweetheart?”  Ellen had spotted him from behind the bar and come over to say hi.  It was part of the reason he’d come early, he didn’t want her interrupting his date once Cole arrived.

“I’m actually here on a date.  He should be here soon. Dad set me up.”  He gave a tight-lipped smile, indicating that he wasn’t thrilled with his dad selecting Alphas for him, but he was going along with it because, well, he sure as hell didn’t want to end up in one of those homes.

“Ah.  I hope this one’s a good Alpha.  First date or have you seen this one before?”

“This is my first time meeting him.  He’s a marine like Dad, the son of one of his military friends.  Dad says he just got home from his last deployment, and he’s looking for an Omega to settle down with,” Sam explained.

“Well, he’d be lucky to have you.”  She pinched his cheek lightly before patting it.  “Have fun, honey.”

He rubbed his cheek as he watched her walk away.  It was nice knowing there were people that had his back.  He turned his attention to the door again in time to see a man in dark wash jeans and a canvas jacket, much like the one Dean had, come walking in, and he was looking around, as if searching for someone.  When his eyes landed on Sam, he started walking towards him.

“Hi, are you Sam?” 

Sam stood up and offered his hand.  “I am. You’re Cole?”

Cole’s eyes widened when he saw how much taller than him Sam was, but he schooled his expression quickly and shook his hand.  When Sam sat down again, he took the seat across from him.

“Yes, I’m Cole.  So, your dad and my dad thought we might make a good fit.”

Sam nodded his head slowly, waiting for him to elaborate and when he didn’t, it left an awkward silence between them that he felt compelled to fill.

“I guess so.  My dad says you’ve been back for a few months now.”

“Yep.  I hear you’re a lawyer?  Working for the D.A., right?”

“Yes, it’s what I’ve always wanted to do, and I love my job.”  Sam remembered the date his brother had been on and ever since he’d been wary of one of these Alphas turning out to be a traditionalist that had the intention of trying to stop him from working.

“Cool.  Do you think you’ll make D.A. someday?”  Cole asked.

Sam was relieved this Alpha didn’t think like the one Dean had gone out with.

“Uh, I don’t know.  I would like to, but it takes time and hard work.  I’d have to win a lot more cases before I’d even have a chance.”

“Have you won many?”

“I’ve won more than I’ve lost, but I’m still learning my way around the courtroom.  It’s exhilarating to win.” Sam loved being up in front of the court, addressing the jury and questioning witnesses.  It gave him a rush knowing he was influencing the way people thought while also bringing important facts to light. He especially loved turning up hidden dirt on criminals that needed to get locked up but had excellent representation and had a chance of walking.  His boss had nicknamed him “The Hound” because of how good he was at digging up things that defendants did  _ not _ want found.

“That’s awesome.  A job is not worth working if you don’t love it.  I loved being a Marine but I’ve seen some awful things, and I knew it was time to come home.”  Cole scratched at his jaw and looked around. “Where’s the waitress?”

Sam took a look around too.  The place was nearly full. “It’s busy tonight, I’m sure they’ll be here soon.”

Cole nodded absently before looking at him again.  Sam got the impression the man was bored. That miffed him a bit since they had just started talking.  He wasn’t a boring person to talk to, but this Alpha was rather dismissive.

“What do you do now that you’re home?” he asked.

“I work at Trinity Hospital, in maintenance,” Cole replied. Again, no elaboration.  Sam tried not to let his frustration bleed through in his scent.

“Do you like what you do?”

Cole shrugged. “It’s work. I did maintenance when I was in the Marines, so I felt it was a safe bet to keep doing it when I got home. It pays well enough.”

Their server finally arrived, taking their drink orders and setting down menus.  They took a few minutes to look them over in silence. 

“You’ve eaten here before?”  Cole asked.

“Many times.  The food is excellent.”

“Huh,” was the response he got.  He peered over the top of his menu at the Alpha, but the man was still reading over the different items.

Sam settled on a Cobb salad with steak instead of chicken and set his menu aside.  Cole was still studying his, though.

“Steak here any good?”

“Yes, better than some steakhouses,” Sam replied.  Cole finally closed his menu and set it on top of the other one. 

“That’s what I’ll have then.”

Their server returned with their drinks, beer for Cole, iced tea for Sam.  He wanted to stay sober since he had to still drive home later. Cole didn’t seem to care though and chugged half of his mug in one go.

The conversation felt stilted, and Sam seemed to be the one initiating it every time it skidded to a halt.  Halfway through their meal he knew he wouldn’t be seeing this Alpha again, especially when the man packed away three mugs of beer before the meal was even over.  The alcohol didn’t seem to make him any more chatty. If anything, it seemed to make him rude.

“How come you’re so tall for an Omega?  You sure you’re really an Omega?” 

Sam frowned.  “Of course I’m sure.  Height runs in the family.  My father and brother are tall too, as are my mother’s father and brothers.”

“I’ve never met one as tall as you before.  Usually I like them small, petite, easy to manipulate in the bedroom.  You…don’t look easy to move whatever way I’d want to in bed.” Cole at least had the decency to cover his mouth as he burped.  He flagged their server down for another beer, and Sam bit back the urge to ask if he really should be drinking that much.

“I’m not comfortable talking about sex; we hardly know each other.” 

Cole frowned.  “Sex is why we’re sitting here, isn’t it?  We’re supposed to mate, make pups, make our dads happy and shit.”  His words slurred a bit, and he seemed not to notice how deeply Sam was frowning at him.

“I’m looking for an Alpha I can fall in love with, that will love me in return.  I’m not just looking for sex. If I was, I could find that anywhere.”

“I think we’d end up having huge pups.  I don’t want my kids being taller than me.  I’m the Alpha, they should look up to me,” Cole said irritably.

“Then I don’t know what to tell you. I may or may not produce tall children.  Their height is of no import to me, I just want them to be healthy and happy.”

Cole’s fourth beer arrived and he chugged down half of it before announcing that he had to use the restroom.  Sam watched him walk away with a look of undisguised disgust. This Alpha was a douchebag.

“Picked a winner, eh?”

He turned to see a man sitting at the bar looking back at him with an amused expression.

“Excuse me?” 

“Your date is three sheets to the wind and insulting you at every turn.  I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but he talks loud and a few of the things he said sort of rubbed me the wrong way.”  The man shrugged. “Sorry.”

“No, it’s ok.  Everything about him is irritating me.  He’s very rude.” Sam sighed.

“Then why are you still sitting there?  Leave. He’s clearly not the right Alpha for you.” 

Sam realized he was right.  “I believe I will go. I don’t intend to stand around so I can get insulted even more.  I’m chalking this one up to a loss.” He stood up and offered a friendly smile at the stranger.  There were too many scents in the place for him to place what orientation the man was, not that it really mattered.

He waved to Ellen as he started for the door.  Just before he reached it, Cole came out of the bathroom.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Thank you for dinner, but this isn’t working out.  I’m going to go home now; I have work in the morning.”  Sam opened the door and left before Cole could argue with him.  He didn’t expect the Alpha to follow him out into the parking lot; he hadn’t even paid for their meals yet.

“That’s pretty fucked up, you know that?  Just walking out like that. It’s rude.” Cole was angry.  Out in the cool night air, Sam could smell it on him.

“Yes, well, so is insulting hypothetical pups that I might have.  I sat there politely as you insulted my height, and I didn’t have to.  Good luck in finding a more tolerant Omega. I hope they’re short enough for your approval,” the Omega snipped before turning to head for his car.  He barely got a few steps before he was shoved hard in the back, sending him crashing face first onto the pavement.

“Think you’re some fancy shit?  Cause you have a law degree? You’re just a piece of shit Omega, like all the others.”  Cole sneered. Sam scrambled back to his feet and turned to face the man. 

“You’re drunk.  I suggest you go back inside before Ellen comes out and hauls you back inside because you didn’t pay.  And don’t you  _ ever _ touch me again.”

“Yeah?  And what are you going to do about it,  _ Omega _ ?” 

Sam ducked a jab when Cole threw it, but was clipped in the jaw with the other fist.  He was seeing stars. It threw him off just enough that the Alpha got in a few more hits before he managed a few of his own.

“Get the fuck away from me, you psycho!”

“Hey, dickhead, what the fuck are you doing?”

Cole turned at the sound of another voice, and Sam looked up to see the man from the bar standing there.  He looked pissed.

“Who the fuck are you?”  Cole growled.

“I’m the man that’s going to teach you a lesson on how to treat Omegas with respect, asshole,” the man snapped.  Sam didn’t get a chance to warn the stranger that Cole was ex-military before the Alpha was lunging at the other guy, claws extended, ready to shred him to pieces.  The other guy was clearly sober and had much faster reflexes than Cole anticipated. Sam watched as Cole stumbled, trying to catch his balance before punching him hard in the gut.  Cole gasped and doubled over, giving the other man the angle he needed to land an uppercut that actually lifted the ignorant Alpha off his feet and sent him flying backwards into the bushes in front of the building.  He didn’t move after that. Satisfied that Cole was out for the count, the stranger hurried over to Sam’s side.

“Hey, are you ok?”

Sam winced in pain but managed a nod.  “This was the worst date ever.”

The stranger chuckled softly as he guided him over to the bench that was by the front doors.  Once Sam was sitting, he brought a hand up to touch his lip. It was killing him, and his fingers came away with blood.  Great, just great. This would put a hold on any attempts to find an Alpha mate.

“Hey, what’s your name?”  The man asked. Sam saw him pulling out his phone and dialing a number.

“Sam.”

“Well, Sam, I’m Gabe.  Detective Gabe Shurley, to be specific.”  Gabe brought the phone to his ear and Sam realized he was calling for Cole to be picked up.

“Shurley.  Any relation to Castiel Shurley?”  He asked. Gabe cocked an eyebrow.

“You know my brother?”

“We’re friends,” Sam replied.

“Well, any friend of Cassie’s is a friend of mine.  You must be the Omega he said he’d gone out with and ended up becoming good friends with instead of having a romantic interest in.  Castiel’s my younger brother.”

“You’re the brother that liked to prank him,” Sam realized.  Gabe laughed.

“Yeah, I guess I did that a lot when we were kids.  Still do from time to time, just to keep him on his toes.  Don’t let him lie and tell you he didn’t pull some crap on me too.  He has a wicked sense of humor and can be vindictive as hell when he wants to be.”

Sam gave a lopsided smile, it was all he could do with a split lip.

“He spoke fondly of you, and of your sisters.  We talked about our childhoods, and I told him about my brother.”

A police car pulled into the parking lot and when the two cops got out, Gabe pulled his badge out for them to see.  He nodded towards the still unconscious Cole, who was lying half in the bushes. Sam hoped the branches stabbed the hell out of the bastard.

“I just need to talk to them for a minute.  Sit tight, they’re going to need your statement.”

He walked over to the uniforms, talking and pointing back towards where Sam was still sitting.  He couldn’t hear what they were talking about but he assumed Gabe was rehashing the fight, at least what he’d seen of it. His ribs and stomach hurt something awful.  He untucked his shirt and pulled it up a bit to look, immediately regretting that. Alphas were strong, and in their human form they packed one hell of a punch. In wolf form, their bite was fierce. He was fairly certain he’d sustained at least a couple of broken ribs.

“Whoa, that looks bad.”  Gabe was back with one of the officers.  The other had cuffed Cole and hauled him to his feet.  Sam dropped his shirt and looked up miserably at the man.  He finally caught Gabe’s scent and was mildly surprised to learn that he was an Alpha.

“I think my ribs are broken.  Hurts to breathe.” 

“I’m going to take you to the hospital after this.  Marla here just has a few questions she needs to ask.”  Gabe sat down beside him and waited for Officer Lewis to ask Sam for his side of what happened.  Sam did his best to explain what had happened, and how Cole’s attitude and aggression had escalated over the course of their meal, and his decision to leave after the Alpha had escalated his insults, and how he was followed out into the parking lot where he was repeatedly punched.  Once she was certain she had his side of the story, she left to go inside and see if anyone else had seen anything.

“Think you can stand?”  Gabe asked. Sam winced as he did so, but the Alpha was quick to support his arm and help him up.

“Thank you, for stepping in, I really do appreciate that.”  He started to stumble in the direction of his car, but Gabe steered him in the direction of a large SUV a few spots away.

“You’re in no condition to drive.  I’m taking you straight to the hospital.  Make your calls on the ride there. Your injuries all need to documented, so they can throw the book at that son of a bitch.”  Gabe opened the passenger door and again helped him up into the seat. “I can arrange for my brother to help get your car back to your place later, unless you have someone that can pick it up for you.”

“No, I’ll ask my dad to do it.  He got me into this mess to start with,” Sam replied bitterly.  Gabe shut the door and went around to the driver’s side. Once he was behind the wheel he helped get Sam’s seatbelt secured, then did his own.

“I doubt he thought this man would do this.  I almost feel sorry for that guy, if your dad goes into a rage.  My dad is super meek and mild, sort of nervous, but when any of his kids get hurt or attacked?  Whew! He is scary! My sister Hannah had a date try to rape her back in high school and while she managed to get away and call me to pick her up, once we got home, Dad went into this frightening rage.  He went after the Alpha and nearly killed him. Got arrested on assault charges, until the whole story came out in court. Hannah had her injuries documented at the hospital where my mom had taken her after Dad left to deal with my sister’s attacker, and Dad’s charges were reduced while the asshole that hurt her got a couple of years in prison for what he did to Hannah, but then other Omegas started coming forward.  He went to prison on 12 counts of rape and three other accounts of attempted rape. He’s not getting out in this lifetime.” Gabe sounded as well as smelled smug over that. 

“Good.  Omegas shouldn’t have to fear Alphas.  We deserve respect.” Sam looked over at him to see him nod.

“You’re absolutely right.  I’ll be there to testify in court on your behalf too, so you get justice.”

Sam sent a text to his brother first, but sent another one to his dad before Dean could call in a panic, demanding to know where he was.  Their dad beat him to it and called first.

“Sam?  What the hell happened?”  John demanded. Sam cringed at the sound of his father’s anger, even if it wasn’t directed at him, it was still scary.

“The guy you set me up with beat the shit out of me after insulting me so much and getting drunk.  I told him I was leaving and wasn’t going to be seeing him again, and he followed me out to the parking lot and started hitting me.  I-I tried to protect myself, like you taught me, but that first blow to my face almost knocked me out. I actually did black out for a second, and it gave him the time to punch me repeatedly in the chest and stomach.  I have a detective driving me to the hospital now. He was off duty and stopped Cole from doing any more damage. I’m pretty sure he broke some ribs, and I see a hematoma starting on my abdomen. He had a really hard punch.”

“I’ll meet you there.  Tell that detective not to leave, I’d like to talk to him.  I’m already on my way out to the car. If I get my hands on that son of a bitch…”  John growled. Sam could hear the car door closing and his truck roaring to life in the background. 

“Ok, I’ll tell him.”

“I am very sorry, Sam.  I never thought…” John’s voice hitched and Sam realized his father was crying, that he felt guilty over his attack.

“It’s ok, Dad, it wasn’t your fault.  This was on Cole.”

“Still, he had no right!”

“Dean keeps calling me, I better take his call before he totally freaks out.”  Sam had gotten three calls in a row, and his brother was calling again.

“Alright.  I’ll be at the hospital before you.  Come in through the Emergency,” John told him.  Sam murmured a goodbye and answered the call from his brother.

“Sam!  What the fuck happened?!  You can’t just text me that shit and then not pick up when I call!”  Dean shouted.

“Dad called, so I had to take his call first.”  Sam sighed. The simple motion hurt. His chest and belly ached so bad.

“Where are you?” 

“On my way to the hospital.  Castiel’s brother actually happened to be at The Roadhouse and saw Cole acting like an ass.  He stepped in after Cole followed me out to the parking lot and started hitting me. Knocked the bastard clean out,” Sam replied proudly.  He looked over at Gabe and saw a smirk on the man’s lips.

“Good, I’m on my way to the hospital too.  I’ll get Benny to pick your car up. I’m assuming it’s still at Ellen’s?”

“Yes, it’s still there,” Sam confirmed.

“Ok, I’m hanging up now so I can call him.  I’m already in the car; I’ll be at the hospital in ten.”

Sam said goodbye to his brother and leaned his head back against the headrest.  He closed his eyes and tried not to concentrate on the pain.

“Hang in there, we’re almost to the hospital now,”  Gabe said. Sam cracked an eye and looked over at him.

“Ok.”

“Stay awake, he could have given you a concussion.”  The Alpha placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and squeezed.  His scent wrapped around the Omega, making him feel safe, protected.  He thought that was what having a mate should feel like.

“I’m not going to sleep, I’m in too much pain currently.”

“An Alpha puts more pounds per square inch of force behind their punch, and you said he’s ex-military?  He was trained to hit even harder. He could have done some serious damage to you. Look, we’re here now.  Sit tight and I’ll go get people to come and help.”

Gabe pulled up to the doors and put the truck in park.  He jumped out and hurried inside. Sam watched him go, and it was less than 30 seconds later before he was running back out to the truck with two nurses and a gurney. 

“Hang on, let me get that.”  Gabe stepped up onto the running board and leaned over to unclip Sam’s seatbelt, then he scooped the Omega up bridal style.

“Ah!”  Sam grabbed onto him tight, his hazel eyes going wide with surprise.  Gabe just smiled before depositing him gently on the gurney.

“It was faster.  Your scent is changing; I think there’s internal bleeding now.  I wanted to get you helped faster.” The Alpha shrugged and started to go around to the driver’s side again.

“Oh, my dad wants to meet you, could you park and come inside?” he called out as they began moving him inside.

“I was already planning on it,” Gabe said with a smirk. 

Sam laid back against the gurney as he was wheeled inside.  There was something about the Alpha that just made him feel safe.  He didn’t have long to dwell on what it was before his father’s face loomed into view.  His anger melted into fear when he saw his son’s injuries. This was the worst date in the history of dates.  He never wanted to date again after this, at least, not anyone his father selected for him.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Dean arrived at the hospital only a few minutes later and headed straight for guest services to inquire about his brother.

“Hey, are you Sam’s brother?” 

He turned to see an Alpha standing there, golden eyes bright with worry. 

“Yes, are you the guy that drove him here?”  Dean asked.

Gabe offered his hand.  “My name is Gabriel Shurley.  I’m a detective in the 9 th precinct, and I was off duty when I overheard that asshole insulting your brother.  I had a bad feeling that he was going to do something like what he did, so after I flagged down the bartender to pay for my food, I hurried outside.  It was too late though, he’d already hit Sam. I drew his attention away and knocked the fucker out, then called it in so he could be picked up. He’s sitting in jail now, and will be the rest of the weekend.  They won’t arraign him til Monday at the earliest.”

Dean shook the man’s hand, extremely glad that someone had stepped in to help his brother.

“Thanks, for helping Sammy.  He could have killed my brother, then I’d have had to track him down and kill  _ him _ .”

Gabe chuckled and nodded towards the doors that led back into the ER.

“I think your dad is planning his demise as we speak.”

Dean snorted and grinned.  “Knowing my dad, he probably is.”

“Tell that lady there who you are, and that you’re here for your brother.  They’ll let you back there.” Gabe pointed at the registration desk.

“Thanks.”  Dean headed to the other counter and after looking him up, found out where Sam was.  She got up to open the doors for him.

“Hey, come with me, I know my dad is going to want to talk to you, and he’s not going to leave Sam’s side.”  Dean motioned for Gabe to follow him as he headed for the room where Sam was supposed to be.

They found the room with no problem and when they walked in, they found it empty of a bed.  John was pacing in its place. He stopped when he spotted his eldest walk in.

“Dean, they took him upstairs, he has blood pooling in his abdomen.  Emergency surgery,” John said.

“Shit.”  Gabe shook his head.  “I knew he smelled worse off than he looked.”

“You’re the detective that brought him in?”  John offered his hand and Gabe shook it. “I can’t thank you enough for stepping in when you did.”

“No way was I going to let that asshole keep talking to Sam the way he was, and I knew he was going to get physical when he followed your son out into the parking lot.  I just wish I’d been faster, but I stopped to pay for my own meal as quickly as I could before I went out there.”

“Still, I’m glad you were there,”  John said earnestly. “I’m not setting him up anymore.  This is my fault.”

“It’s not your fault that this guy had a few screws loose. You thought a fellow Marine would treat Sammy right.  You thought he’d treat Sammy like you treated Mom. The one that screwed up here is that Cole guy, not you. Sam won’t blame you, so don’t you do it either.”  Dean was fierce for an Omega. Gabe was impressed. His father seemed uncertain, but he nodded anyway.

“I called Mitch, Cole’s father, to tell him what his son did.  He was livid. Cole called him for his one phone call, and he didn’t pick up.” 

“Good.  I hope he doesn’t bother getting a lawyer for the bastard either,”  Dean growled.

A nurse came to tell them that Sam would be admitted after his surgery, and directed them up to the third floor, to what would be Sam’s room when he got out of surgery.  John settled in for the night, intending not to leave his son’s side, and Dean sat down too. They persuaded Gabe to stay at least until Sam was brought back to the room, and he readily agreed. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name before.”  John spoke up some 20 minutes into their wait.

“Oh, Gabriel Shurley.  Call me Gabe.”

John blinked in surprise and sat up in his chair.  “You’re one of Pastor Shurley’s boys?”

“Yep.  I believe you arranged dates for Sam with my younger brother, Castiel,”  Gabe replied.

“He told me he had a few unmated Alpha kids, but pushed me to set up the date with Castiel.  Said the boy had trouble dating because he’s awkward.”

Gabe found that funny and laughed.  “Cassie’s not so bad once he gets warmed up.  It’s the initial meeting that Omegas tend to find him stiff and too formal.  He’s a cool guy once he’s not feeling shy anymore. He doesn’t have a lot of friends, so he was glad that he and Sam were able to remain friends.  I hear they go out for coffee once in a while and shoot the breeze.”

“That’s good.  Sam makes friends pretty easily; he’s like his mama with that.  She could talk to anyone and get them to warm up to her immediately.  Dean has that gift too.” John looked over at his eldest son, who had been lost in his own thoughts until he heard his name.

“What was that?”

“I said you and Sammy are friendly like your ma was.  She was an angel like that,” John said. Dean smiled at the thought of his mother.

Gabe and John launched into a conversation about the police force and how Gabe had worked his way up to detective.  Dean listened, catching on that the Alpha was interested in his brother when the conversation turned to how he’d taken Cole down, and the ride to the hospital. Of course another Alpha would be interested in Sam.  He tried not to be bitter about that.

It was nearly midnight before Sam was brought to the room.  He was groggy and wore a dopey smile when he saw his father.  His smile grew bigger when he saw Dean. When his eyes landed on Gabe they widened.

“You stayed.”  It wasn’t a question.  Gabe waited for the nurses to finish hooking him up to his machines before he stepped closer and leaned on the railing.  His amber eyes roamed over the bruises on the Omega’s face with concern.

“I wanted to see for myself that you were ok.  You sort of freaked me out when I heard you had to go in for surgery.”

“I had blood in my abdomen, they told me.  It had to be drained and they had to find out where the bleed was coming from.  Bastard messed up the muscle wall in my abdomen, and they had to fix an artery, or something like that.  I was mostly out of it when they were talking to me post op. All I care about is that they stopped the bleeding, and I’m going to be ok.  Thank you for bringing me.”

Gabe smiled warmly.  “No problem. But do me a favor, no more asshole Alphas, ok?”

Sam smiled and nodded.  “I definitely will be avoiding them from now on.”

“Good, because I’d like to take you out when you get out of here.  If you’re interested, that is.” 

The Omega’s eyes widened as he studied the Alpha’s face.  He didn’t even hear his father laughing softly behind him.

“Really?”

“Yeah.  It has to be a plus that I’m not a dickhead.”  Gabe grinned and Sam wanted to laugh at his joke but he was in too much pain.

“I’d love to.”

“Good.  Right now, though, you concentrate on getting better.  It’s going to take some time to heal from surgery and broken ribs.  They are broken, right?” Gabe asked. Sam nodded.

“Yeah, three of them.  They had to set them. Fucking hurts, even with the pain killers.”

“I bet.  I’ll stop in tomorrow to check on you, how about that?”  Gabe brushed the tips of his fingers across Sam’s arm, earning him another smile from the Omega.

“I’d like that.”

Gabe stood back and bid John and Dean goodnight before saying bye to Sam.  Once he was gone, Sam looked over at his father and brother who had matching wolfish grins.

“I like him,” John said.

“Even if you dated his brother, he’s pretty cool.  He better not be lying because if he turns out to be an ass, Dad might just kill him,” Dean laughed.

“He’s not.  I felt…safe with him, on the ride here.  Like he genuinely cared that I was hurt as bad as I was.  He refused to let me drive here on my own. And he’s strong!  Picked me up and put me on the gurney!” Sam exclaimed. This time both his father and brother laughed.

“I saw that,” John said.

“He must be to lift a fat ass like you,”  Dean teased. Sam flipped him off.

“Shut up, jerk.”

“Never, bitch.”  Dean shot back. Sam felt infinitely better already.


	8. Chapter 8

It was almost a week before Sam was released, and by then he was practically going stir crazy.  The highlight of his day was always when Gabe would come to visit. The Alpha would bring him things, like a smoothie or a book to read, and he appreciated every gesture the man did for him.  By the time he went home, he was totally smitten with the charming, yet mischievous Alpha. He was everything the Omega had wanted in a potential mate, and when they went out on their first date the week after he was home, he knew he wanted Gabe as his mate. 

John approved of Gabe, and of how well he was treating Sam.  On their next monthly lunch together, he had his son bring his boyfriend along.  They met at a diner downtown, and since Dean and Sam had driven there together as usual, Gabe met everyone there. 

“Hey,”  Sam stood up to greet him, accepting the Alpha’s kiss before he sat down and Gabe slid in beside him.  Dean was sitting next to his father, watching his brother and Gabe with fond amusement. He was happy for his brother, and glad that at least one of them had found a worthwhile mate. 

“How have you been?”  John asked.

“Good, I’ve been good.  Work keeps me busy but I like it like that.  In my family, as far as careers go, we’re all over the place.”  Gabe replied. “My sister Anna is a biochemist, Naomi runs a youth ministry, Hannah is a doctor, Castiel is a lawyer, and I’m the cop.  Not a single one of us studied religion or became a minister like our dad. He was a bit bitter over that, but Anna’s oldest son just became ordained, so Dad’s hoping he can groom him to take over when he retires in a few years.”

“Huh, that’s quite the variety,” John mused. “I thought both my boys would go into mechanics like me, it’s the family business and all, but Sam wanted to become a lawyer.  I admit, I wasn’t happy at first, but I came around. I’m proud of him and his hard work. He’s a good lawyer, and one day he’ll be in charge of this state’s defense.”

“Dad,”  Sam was embarrassed, but he was smiling.  He radiated pride and happiness at his father’s praise.

“You’re good at what you do, just like Dean’s good at what he does.  He’s a better mechanic than me, and one day he’ll take over and run the business better than I ever could.”  John patted his eldest on the back and Dean beamed with pride at his father’s praise. 

“I just have to find a mate first,” he reminded his father.

“You’ll find the right Alpha for you.”  John spoke with a confidence that Dean didn’t feel, but he still smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, sure.”

“Dad, how long after you and mom met did you and her bond?”  Sam asked. John arched an eyebrow at the question, but he’d sensed that his son and Gabe were moving towards that.

“Well, it would have been a lot sooner than it was if it weren’t for her father trying to prevent me from being with her.  I told you, I knew as soon as I met her that she was my mate, but your grandpa was a hard ass. He didn’t like me at all. It wasn’t until your ma raised a fuss and told him she was mating me, whether he liked it or not, that he finally came around and decided to give me a chance.  We were mated three weeks after we met and were in love until her death. I’m still in love with her, always will be.” John’s smile was soft, but his scent radiated melancholy. His boys knew how much he missed his mate. 

“So, if we’re thinking about mating, it’s not too soon?”  Sam glanced at Gabe, who reached over to take his hand.

“No.  Wolves know pretty quickly when they’ve found a compatible mate.  I’m glad you found yours.” 

Sam smiled wide.  “Good. We, uh, want to bond soon.  That means I’ll be moving out, Dean.  Are you going to be ok?”

Dean felt sad at losing his best friend and roommate, but he was happy for his brother.  Happy that he’d found the love he deserved.

“I’ll be fine, Sammy.” 

“One more thing,” Gabe spoke up.  “In my family, we don’t just bond.  It’s tradition to marry our mate as well.  My dad’s a stickler for it, and until I met Sam I never thought I’d find someone I wanted to do both with.  So…is there a chance I could get your blessing?”

John reached across the table to clap the other Alpha on the shoulder as he grinned wide.  “You definitely have my blessing.”

Gabe looked up at Sam and smiled almost shyly.  “Sam, I love you. Will you see fit to marry me and make me the happiest Alpha in the world?”

Sam grabbed his boyfriend’s face and kissed him hard.  “Yes, Gabe, I will marry you!”

Gabe was grinning as he pulled a small, gray box from his pocket and opened it.  Inside sat a silver band with an engraved scrollwork and diamonds woven into the engraving.  Sam’s eyes widened as Gabe took his hand and slid the ring on. 

“That’s really nice, you matched Sam’s taste.”  Dean smiled at them as they kissed again. His dad slung an arm around his shoulder and gave him a squeeze.

“Your Alpha is out there, son.  This will be you, too, before you know it.”

Dean had more doubts than he would ever admit to, but for his family’s sake, he remained quiet.  The last thing he wanted to do was ruin this happy moment.


	9. Chapter 9

Sam and Gabe moved quickly to plan the wedding after they bonded.  Dean knew it was because he worried their dad wouldn’t be around if they decided to put it off.  Gabe’s father set aside a Saturday the following May for the wedding, and his nephew Simon eagerly offered to officiate it.  The reception was going to be held in the church basement, and Gabe’s sisters were all excited to decorate for it.

Dean had the best man duties.  He picked up his and Sam’s tuxes, as well as their dad’s, and he picked up the ring from the jeweler.  Sam had picked out a really nice one for his mate. The actual day of the wedding, he involved the rest of their pack in helping Sam to get ready.  While biologically Sam, Dean, and John were the original members of the Winchester pack, they’d welcomed Ellen and her pup Jo more than 25 years earlier, and lone wolf Bobby Singer, a Beta who had lost his mate after 15 years together.  Bobby had a thing for Ellen but even after all these years, he still hadn’t made a move. 

Dean’s best friend Charlie was welcomed into the pack after her mother died, leaving her without a pack, and later her mate Gilda was accepted into it.  Their pack might not all be blood, but it was family nonetheless, and they all pitched in to help with the wedding. Ellen and Gilda were seeing people to their seats while Jo and her mate Ash were keeping the ring bearer and flower girl under control.  Charlie was manning the camera, taking pictures of Sam getting ready while Dean helped his brother with fixing the bowtie and making sure there was not a single spot of lint or hair anywhere on his clothes. Sam was nervous but excited, and it bled through in his scent.  He’d taken on a muskier note to his naturally soft Omega scent, a sign that he was bonded, and Gabe’s scent reflected Sam’s as well. Dean liked the way their scents blended together. 

“You ready to get married, Sammy?”  He asked once Sam had checked himself in the full length mirror and buttoned his jacket.

“Yeah, I mean, we’re already bonded, marriage is just the next step. I know I’ll be sharing the rest of my life with him, but there are a lot of people out there.  That’s the part that makes me nervous,” Sam confessed.

“Dude, you literally talk all day long in front of a courtroom, how are you nervous?  At least these people all like you.” Dean laughed.

“True, you have a point.”  Sam smiled and turned to face his brother and father.  Charlie snapped several pictures of his bright, happy smile.

“Family picture!” She pushed John over until he was standing between his sons. All three men smiled wide for the camera.

“That is…wow, you guys are gorgeous here.”  She turned the camera so they could see.

“I do look good,”  John mused. “Didn’t think so with all this gray hair, but I do.”

“Handsome fellas.  Dean,” she checked her watch, “it’s time to get into place.”

“Right.”  He nodded and headed for the door.  “See you up front, bro.” With a wink he left and headed out into the chapel.  The church was nice, bigger than he expected, and both sides were filled with people.  He didn’t recognize the people on the left, so he knew those were Gabe’s guests. Several were in uniform, which just confirmed it.  He flashed a smile at the flower girl, Jo and Ash’s three-year-old daughter Josie, before climbing the three steps that led to the altar.  A young man in his early 20s was dressed in white robes, smelling and looking equal parts nervous and excited. He was a Beta, judging by his scent.

The smell of thunderstorms seemed to suddenly surround him, and he looked up, seeking out the owner of such an amazing scent.  It wasn’t the minister, he smelled like sour fruit, as many Betas did when their scent was incompatible with Dean’s. His eyes fell on the man standing across from him who was talking to a woman with the same dark hair and blue eyes as him.  He was…gorgeous, in a messy sort of way. The man laughed at something she said and Dean’s heart skipped. His brain screamed “Alpha,” and he wondered who the man was. There were several people standing over there that he didn’t recognize.

“You ready?” 

Dean turned around to see his brother’s friend from high school, Kevin Tran, standing behind him.  He was glad Sam had called the Omega up to ask him if he wanted to stand up in the wedding. Kevin was a really great guy.  It took Dean a moment to realize he smelled bonded.

“Yeah, I am.  Hey, when the heck did you get bonded?”

Kevin smiled and pointed to sweet looking Asian girl sitting with his mother.

“That’s my mate, Li.  She’s the best. We met at work about a year ago, mated like a week later.  My mom wasn’t thrilled but hey, you know how she is. She has come to like Li though.  Now she’s pushing for us to have pups.” Kevin rolled his eyes, but the smile on his face gave away just how happy he was.  Dean patted him on the shoulder.

“I’m happy for you, man. I can’t wait to meet her at the reception later.”

“Ok, I’m here!”  Jo pulled her pale pink dress down a bit and slid into her spot behind Kevin.

“Where’s the flower girl?”  Kevin asked.

“With Ash.  The ring boy needed a diaper change, but he’s from Gabe’s side of the family so they’re handling that,” she replied.  Charlie had passed her camera off to her mate and joined them at the altar.

“I do not forgive Sam for making me wear a dress,” she grumbled.  Hers was pink like Jo’s but since they’d been allowed to choose the style they wanted, hers flared at the waist and reminded Dean of the dresses from the 50’s.  Jo had decided on a lace covered pencil design that accented her curves. They both looked phenomenal, so he told them as much. Charlie gave him a cheeky smile.

“Thank you.  Gilda couldn’t stop gushing this morning as I was getting ready.  She told me over and over how gorgeous I am.”

“You are, Red.  You’re a knockout,”  Dean assured her.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” 

She looked over at Gabe’s side to see the wedding party beginning to fall in line.

“Oh, you’re standing up against Mr. Tall, dark, and brooding.  That must be Gabe’s brother. I heard about him. He’s gorgeous!” she hissed.  Jo snorted and Kevin burst out laughing. Dean turned aside to see the man he’d been staring at before looking back at him. 

Gabe’s brother.

Gabe’s brother  _ Castiel _ .

Castiel who Sam had dated and slept with.

He was struck with such disappointment that Jo leaned around Kevin to smack his arm.

“What’s wrong?  I’d think you’d be happy standing up against such a hot Alpha.”

“Sam dated him.”  Dean replied only loud enough for the wedding party on his side to hear.

“What?  When?” Charlie gasped.

“Before Gabe.  And before the asshole that put him in the hospital.  When Dad first started setting us up, he put me with this traditionalist jerk, Gary or something, and he set Sam up with Castiel.  They seemed to be hitting it off. I came home one night to see that Sam had invited him over, and they were in his room. Then not long after that he announced that he and this Cas guy weren’t compatible, so he went on to date a few other people, til he met Gabe.”

“Whoa, he never said anything!”  Jo was as shocked as Kevin and Charlie.

“I thought they just went on a few dates and parted ways.  He never told me he slept with any of the Alphas he was seeing,”  Kevin said. Dean shrugged.

“Cas was the only one he went on multiple dates with, and as far as I know, they became good friends after that.  I wonder if he ever told Gabe about them.”

“Don’t you say a word!”  Charlie shook a warning finger at him.

“Hey, I would never.  It didn’t work out with Cas, but he’s happy and in love with Gabe.  I would never risk ruining his happiness.” Dean was offended that she would even think such a thing.

“Well, it’s behind them now.  They’ve moved on, so don’t let it bother you.”  Kevin gave a reassuring pat to his arm. Dean frowned as he turned back around to face front.  Castiel was still staring at him. The scent of thunderstorms was still invading his senses, overriding all of the other scents in the room.  He wondered why he hadn’t smelled Castiel this strongly in the apartment the night Sam had him over. Maybe he’d worn blockers, not wanting to leave his scent all over their living space when there were two unmated Omegas residing there.

He tore his eyes away from the blue ones staring at him when the flower girl came walking down the aisle, side by side with the ring bearer.  She had forgotten to throw her rose petals though, until she was almost up to the altar. In a panic she dumped them out of her basket and ran over to Ellen to be picked up.  Everyone laughed softly in amusement at how adorable she was. Dean stepped down from the altar to take the ring for Gabe off the pillow the pup was holding, a nephew from the Shurley side, and returned to his spot just as Castiel came down to collect the ring for Sam.  The pup stood there looking around until a man from Gabe’s side came and scooped him up. 

Gabe came jogging up the stairs to join them only a few steps behind his nephew’s retrieval.  The Alpha whispered something to Castiel that had the other Alpha smiling and laughing. It made Dean’s skin prickle hearing how deep it was.  He cursed himself for being attracted to a man who had slept with his brother. It made him feel dirty.

The music started and the room fell silent.  Everyone turned to see John and Sam step into the chapel.  Dean was so glad their dad was here for this. His treatments had made the tumors in his lungs shrink, but he was still quite sick.  He looked incredibly proud to be walking his youngest up the aisle. With a hug for Sam and a handshake for Gabe, John handed over his son with his blessing. 

Sam climbed the steps and came to stand in front of Gabe.  They’d decided against a rehearsal, so this was all spontaneous.  Gabe took his mate’s hands in his own as the minister began speaking.  Dean tuned out about ten minutes in. Even with his brother’s soft, flowery scent and Gabe’s stronger, earthy scent, he continued to be surrounded by the smell of thunderstorms and ozone.  It was incredible. He’d always been told that he smelled like fresh, spring rain, and he tried not to think about how Castiel’s scent complimented his own. 

When Kevin nudged him in the back he refocused.  The minister was telling Sam to put Gabe’s ring on him, so when he turned to look at his brother, Dean handed the ring over.  His brother smiled wide before turning back around to face his mate. He slipped the ring onto Gabe’s finger and moments later the minister was declaring them married.  Everyone cheered loudly when they shared their first kiss as a married couple, and Dean whistled loudly. He patted his brother on the back and congratulated him. Sam, always having been very touchy feely, pulled Dean into a tight hug. 

When they let go a few seconds later, Gabe and Sam descended the stairs together, arm in arm.  Suddenly Dean realized he was going to have to do that with Castiel. His heart climbed up into his throat as the Alpha approached him and offered his arm.  The smile on his face was soft, shy, and fuck if it didn’t just make him even more attractive. He found himself smiling back as he took the Alpha’s arm and they followed Sam and Gabe out.

“You’re Sam’s brother.”  Castiel’s speaking voice was even deeper than his laugh, and Dean was at risk of getting slick if he didn’t get himself under control soon.

“Yeah, and you’re Gabe’s.  You dated Sam last year, before he met Gabe.”

“Well, the first time we went out together, I treated it like a date, but we were just too much alike to be really compatible, and I didn’t want to be rude, so I refrained from telling him that I didn’t find his scent all that appealing.  He admitted he didn’t much like mine either. Not for bonding, anyway.” Castiel said so casually that Dean was almost ticked that he spoke so dismissively about his brother.

“If your scents were so incompatible, why’d you sleep with him?”  He hissed, not wanting the wedding guests to hear. Castiel blinked at him in surprise.

“Sleep with him?  With  _ Sam _ ?  I never even kissed him!”

They had stepped outside into the warm summer afternoon where people were blowing bubbles at the wedding party.

“But…I came home that night…you were in his room…”  It sounded stupid and with the look Castiel was giving him, he felt like an ass for jumping to conclusions.  Sam had never explicitly  _ said _ he’d slept with Castiel, he’d just assumed.

“We were looking through some pictures he had in there.  They were how I recognized you, though I also recognized your scent.  It’s quite memorable.”

The Alpha seemed more amused than insulted by Dean’s faux pas.  Then he realized what the man was saying. They had moved off to the side, making room for the rest of the wedding party to come outside, though Castiel still held his arm in his own. 

“You…remembered my scent?”

“It was hard to forget.  Actually, I was looking forward to today.  Sam thought we might be more compatible. Seeing as how all I could think about through the entire ceremony was your scent.  It stuck out more than anyone else's here today. You smell amazing.”

Dean’s heart began to race as he looked the Alpha in the eye.  Damn, they were even bluer this close up. Castiel smiled softly at him again, that shy, reserved smile that made him both amazingly handsome and adorable at the same time.

“All I could smell was you.  It felt like I was drowning in the smell of a thunderstorm,”  Dean admitted, giving a shy smile of his own in return. Castiel smiled wider.

“Is that good?”

“Definitely good.”  Dean nodded quickly.  “It’s even better this close.”

“Sam told me you hadn’t found an Alpha that you liked yet.  Would it be too forward of me to ask you out?”

Dean got bumped by a lady in a yellow dress that made her look like a giant canary, and stumbled.  Castiel took the opportunity to pull him closer, slipping an arm around the Omega’s waist.

“I would, yeah, that would be great, actually.”  Dean breathed out, surprised he could even find the words to speak, let alone agree to a date. 

“Could I maybe dance with you at the reception?”  The Alpha seemed so shy in asking such a simple thing, but Dean was eager to be held close by him.  He’d never experienced that with anyone before. Castiel felt…safe. Huh. That’s how Sam had described Gabe the day they’d met.

“I think…you’re my mate,” he blurted.  Castiel’s smile morphed into something dazzling, and he wanted to see a million more just like it.  He wanted to be the one to put them on the Alpha’s face.

“I would have to agree.  It feels like you’re mine.  My instincts are telling me you are.”

“I never thought I’d find you.”  Dean didn’t mean to let that slip but when the Alpha leaned in to nuzzle against his cheek, he felt all of his fears and all of worries that he wasn’t the kind of Omega an Alpha would want to let slip away.  He leaned into Castiel’s touch, wishing he could shift and go running right now with him. 

“I knew you were mine that day in the apartment, but I was afraid to say anything to Sam.  It wasn’t why I remained friends with him though, he has turned out to be one of my best friends.  We get along very well. I’m happy he met my brother and fell in love. They make a beautiful couple.”  A happy, contented rumble spilled out, and Castiel held him even closer, inhaling Dean’s scent even more.  “It was you all along. I’m so happy I got to see you in person today. You’re even more beautiful than your pictures.”

Dean blushed at the compliment.  He’d been told before that he was pretty or handsome, but it always seemed to be when someone was trying to get into his pants, never because someone really, truly meant it.

“I think you’re the beautiful one, not me.” 

“Mmm, I disagree, but then again, I’ve never seen anyone as gorgeous as you, and I will not be swayed from my opinion.”

Dean chuckled, and Castiel leaned back to look at him.  There was a happy grin on his face. 

“Gabe said you were awkward.  Dude, you’re not awkward. I’d say…romantic, but not awkward.” 

Castiel raised both eyebrows, obviously surprised by that.  “Really? Most people think I am. Awkward, that is. I’m really just shy, and I get flustered easily sometimes.  I don’t find myself feeling flustered with you. I’m just…happy. I’ve found my mate and my inner wolf wants to howl with joy.”

Dean had to agree; his inner wolf wanted to howl, too. 

“How do you feel about shifting and going for a run sometime?” he asked.

“I would like that very much.  I know a secluded spot near a waterfall.  The fields are filled with wildflowers. We can run free there, play in the water, lounge in the grass. I love going there, but it will be better with you,”  Castiel replied. 

“Hey, you guys coming?”  Jo called out. They looked around to see everyone heading back inside the church. 

“Yeah, coming,”  Dean told her. She gave them one last glance before following others back inside.  Castiel offered his arm again.

“Shall we?”

Dean smiled as he took the Alpha’s arm.  “Yep, let’s go dance and eat till we’re stuffed.”


	10. Chapter 10

The basement was enormous, bigger than Dean had expected, and he let Castiel lead the way up to the banquet table that had been set out for the wedding party.  Everyone was sitting with the person they’d walked down the aisle with, and Dean was ecstatic that he got to sit with his Alpha. 

That thought jarred him for just a split second as he realized he had actually found  _ his _ Alpha.  He was going to get his chance at happiness, just like Sam.  Their dad had been right. They’d acted like spoiled, immature pups for far too long, and he’d come close to missing out on the same happiness his parents had had.  That was what he’d always wanted, and it was his fear of being rejected that had made him steer clear from Alphas, until his father had basically told him and Sam to grow the hell up. 

His instincts told him Castiel was one of the good ones, even without Sam always talking positively about him, and he knew he’d be happy with him as his Alpha mate.  As the party took their seats, he decided he wanted to know as much as possible about the man, and since they were sitting together, he intended to do just that.

“Sam says you’re a lawyer too, but you practice business law?”

Castiel nodded.  “Yes, I’ve practiced for nearly ten years now.  I enjoy it very much. I handle the legal end of business transactions.  It’s quite lucrative. I know you’re currently working for your father, but you stand to inherit the company?  Will you continue to expand on it, adding more shops?”

Dean was happy that he didn’t expect him to give up his life’s work.

“I intend to.  I’m good at business dealings, much more patient than my father.  I’ve negotiated for three new shops in the last five years, and we continue to expand.”

“That’s very impressive.  I thought about bringing my car in, but I didn’t know which shop you work at, and I didn’t think I’d be able to tell your scent from anyone else’s, especially with the added smells that come with working in a garage.  Every time I’ve ever had my car worked on, all I could smell was motor oil and grease.”

Dean chuckled.  “Yeah, that can be overwhelming, even for those of us that work on cars for a living.  What kind of music do you listen to? You get a big plus in my book if you like classic rock.”

“I love classic rock, and have a fairly impressive album collection.  I enjoy many other types of music as well, but classic rock is a favorite,” the Alpha replied.  He sought out Dean’s hand under the table and threaded their fingers together. Dean smiled wide and scooted his chair closer.

“That’s great.  We’ll have to compare collections.  My dad played the classics a lot when I was growing up, and he always played it in the shops, so it holds a special place in my heart.”

“What do you like to do in your spare time?  Besides listen to music.” Castiel asked. There was a wry smile gracing his lips and Dean was struck with the sudden urge to kiss him.  He refrained though.

“Well, I tend to stay pretty active.  Sam likes to run, which I don’t, but I do like to work out at the gym so our routine the last few years is I’ll head to the gym and he’ll end his morning run there.  We’ll work out, shower, then get in my car to go home. We’ve kept that up, even though he’s mated now. Gabe joined us once but complained when he started sweating, so he went to get a hydro massage.  I love shifting and running, and I do that a lot with my pack. I enjoy cooking and I like reading, but I’m picky about the authors whose books I’ll read. What about you?”

Castiel seemed to have this perpetual smile going on.  Dean wondered if his cheeks were starting to hurt yet.

“Well, I like running.  Sam and I have run together a few times.  I am a member at a different gym, but I like a good workout a few times a week, when I can squeeze it in.  I have a large backyard and I love to garden. I grow my own vegetables and herbs, and I am part of a gardening club.  My roses have won the last three years. I too enjoy cooking, but I also like to bake. I do all my own canning as well.  I’m a voracious reader, I’ll give anything a try at least once. I haven’t had much opportunity to shift with my pack and go running, but I go regularly by myself.”

They were totally engrossed in one another, discussing their favorite movies, cars, trips they’d taken, and more, pausing only to join in with everyone else to tap their wine glasses so Gabe and Sam would have to kiss.  When the time came for the best man speeches, Dean stood up and gave a heartfelt one that ended with him crying and hugging his brother tight as Sam began to cry too. He hugged a teary eyed Gabe before sitting back down.  Then it was Castiel’s turn. His speech was spoken with love for his older brother, and he talked about how much he’d looked up to Gabe growing up, and how happy he was that he’d found his mate, his love, the other half of his soul.  By the end of it both Alphas were crying and hugging one another. Sam was pulled into it and hugged just as tightly. When Castiel returned to his seat, he saw the way Dean was looking at him.

“We’re going to have this, right?” the Omega asked.

“We’ll have this and more, Dean.  I would give you the world if you asked for it.” 

Dinner was served and they talked, both with each other and with those that wandered up to the table to speak to them.  Dean ended up with Josie in his lap, stealing bites of his steak and potato, not that he minded in the least. Castiel wore a look of adoration as he watched his Omega playing with the pup and feeding her. 

“Do you want pups?”  He asked once Josie had run off to find her parents.

“I do.  What about you?” 

“Yes.  I think ours will be beautiful.”  Castiel spoke with conviction. “I’m certain of it.”

“Are you expecting me to give up my work to take care of them?”  Dean asked.

“Of course not.  But I would think you’d like to spend some time with each one when they’re born, while you’re healing and we’re bonding with them.  From there, I could cut my hours back so I can spend more time with them. We can hire a nanny or ask our pack to help us with caring for them.  I prefer the latter. We’re wolves, raising pups is naturally a pack responsibility.”

Dean knew in that moment that he could fall hopelessly in love with this Alpha, and never regret it.  This was what he’d been waiting for.

“I help Jo and Ash with Josie, and I’ll help Sam and Gabe with theirs.  In fact…” Dean glanced back at his brother to make sure he wasn’t listening before turning back to face Castiel.  “Did you catch my brother’s scent? I think he’s pregnant.”

Castiel smiled and nodded eagerly.  “I did! They’re going to have a pup, and I can’t wait to bond with it.”

“So when should we go out?”  Dean asked.

“How about tomorrow?  Not too early though, I’m not a morning person.”  Castiel replied.

“Neither am I.  We can do lunch, then…go for a run?”  Dean hoped the Alpha would be up for that.  There was an intimacy that came with running with your Alpha.  Castiel leaned in, scenting him again, making him shiver.

“Mmm, I am agreeable to that,” the Alpha rumbled.  Dean bit back a whimper as Castiel’s nose brushed against his throat.  “I’m looking forward to your scent when you shift. It will be even stronger.”

“Y-you keep that up, big guy, and I’m going to ruin this tux.  It’s a rental.” Dean meant it to sound flirty but it came out more as a whine.  Castiel was grinning wolfishly as he sat back in his seat.

“Mmm, tempting, but I want to take you out tomorrow.  I’m rather excited about getting the chance to see you naked, not that you aren’t incredibly attractive in your tux.”

“Do you talk like this all the time?”  Dean asked, unable to avoid shivering with anticipation for their run the next day.

“Like what?”  Castiel asked, tilting his head in confusion.  Fucking adorable Alpha.

“Like a damn sex god!”  Dean hissed. Castiel blinked in surprise before throwing his head back and laughing.

“I believe you’re the only person to ever think I talked that way.  You bring out a different side of me, and…I’m comfortable with you. I’ve only just met you and I swear, you feel like home to me, and I wish I’d met you so much sooner than this.”

“Well, I hope you never stop, but maybe do it when we’re alone.  If I start getting wet, every unmated Alpha in the room is going to react, and there are quite a few in here,”  Dean told him. There was a spike of something bitter intruding into the Alpha’s scent, and he realized Castiel was jealous.

“Sweetheart, relax, I only have eyes for you.”  He meant that too. Once upon a time he would have flirted with everyone in the room, and then seen how many wanted to take him to bed, but not anymore.  His wolf side had flipped a switch in his brain and now all he wanted was this Alpha right here. Castiel laid his arm across the back of Dean’s seat and leaned closer.

“I am incredibly pleased to hear that,” he said.

Dean smiled as the Alpha’s scent evened out again and the smell of a warm, summer thunderstorm enveloped him once more.  Castiel smelled perfect.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

The first dance came up, and Gabe led Sam out onto the dance floor.  Everyone watched as he swept his Omega into his arms and glided him around the floor effortlessly.

“Since when could Sam dance like that?”  Dean wondered.

“I didn’t know Gabriel could either.”  Castiel said. It was clear the two were head over heels in love, and Dean leaned into his Alpha as they watched their brothers dance.  When the song was over, Charles Shurley, Gabe and Castiel’s father, came out onto the dance floor.

“Sam, I want to cordially welcome you into our pack.  We are blessed to have you, and my heart is full this day knowing that another of my children has found their mate.  May the Lord bless you both, and may your union be long and happy.” 

Everyone cheered as Charles pulled Sam into a hug.  Sam hugged him back with tears in his eyes. Dean looked over at his father to see how he was reacting, and it was no surprise to see his dad crying.  Sam was still part of the Winchester pack, but he was now a part of the Shurley pack as well. He was the tie that bound the packs together. In ancient times the mating of an Omega from one pack to the Alpha of another was done to bring peace and ensure the packs would be united together against invading wolves.  The tradition of accepting the Omega into your pack still held, even in these modern times.

“Mmm, that will be you and me soon.  You’ll be welcomed into the pack with open arms, and that will be the happiest day of my life, other than today, of course,”  Castiel murmured softly in his ear. Dean smiled and turned to look at him.

“Because our brothers have united our packs?”

“Because I met you.”  Castiel surprised him when he leaned in and placed a tender kiss against his lips.  “I have been blessed this day.”

“Damn it, Cas, you’re going to make me melt here,” Dean joked.  Castiel just smiled.

“My intention is to be the best possible Alpha to you.  I want to make you as happy as I believe you will make me.”

Dean ended up melting anyway, leaning into the Alpha and placing his head on the man’s shoulder.  He ignored the questioning looks from Jo and Charlie. They’d be bugging him about his behavior later, but for right now, he just wanted to bask in this happy glow. 

When another slow song came on, Castiel pulled his arm out from behind Dean and offered him his hand.

“May I have this dance?”

Dean took his hand and let the Alpha lead him onto the dance floor.  He didn’t care how it looked to others when he wrapped his arms around Castiel’s neck and rested his head on the man’s shoulder.  He had a few inches up on the Alpha, but it wasn’t that much, and he was comfortable basking in the scent of thunderstorms and ozone.  Castiel’s arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him close. They swayed slowly to the music, oblivious to everything going on around them.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

“Hey, look at our brothers.”  Sam nudged his mate and nodded towards where Dean and Castiel were dancing, their bodies pressed tightly together.  Dean’s head was resting on the Alpha’s shoulder, and Castiel looked like he was in absolute heaven. Gabe smirked at the sight of them.

“I saw them outside the church, and they’ve been talking and scenting each other since they sat down at the table.  If I had to wager a guess, I’d say they’ve found their mates with each other. Makes sense, Dean smells like rain, Cassie like thunderstorms.  I thought when I met your brother that he would be compatible with Castiel, and he kept asking if Dean would be standing up as your best man. I didn’t understand why it was so important to him.  It’s like he knew he’d be compatible with Dean.” 

Sam thought for a moment, and then he realized why.

“It’s because I had Castiel up to the apartment once.  We sat and drank wine and talked about stuff we like. It was the day I admitted I didn’t like him the way my dad hoped I would, and he told me he didn’t like me as anything but a friend.  I thought it was a little weird though that he kept scenting the air. The apartment obviously smelled like me  _ and _ Dean, since we lived together.  I’m betting he caught my brother’s scent, and even then he knew.  I should have introduced them before this but really, other than dinner once or twice at your parents’ house, I haven’t had a whole lot of time to get together with him.  Or Dean, really. I feel guilty about that; I know he felt alone once I left.”

“Well, he’s not alone anymore,” Gabe mused.  Sam laughed softly and nodded.

“They look happy.  Do we look that happy?”

“Yes, baby, we look very happy because we are.”

John made his way over and as subtly as possible, nodded towards Dean and Castiel.

“Am I right in thinking your brother found his Alpha?”

Sam grinned and nodded.  “Yep. You won’t have to worry about him anymore.”  John smiled wide.

“I told him he’d find his Alpha.  He lacked faith, but I didn’t. I know his mama was looking out for him and sent just the right one to him, even if it was by an indirect route.  He’s going to be happy, and that’s all I wanted for my boys.”

“Dad, uh, we wanted to wait to tell you this, but you’re going to be a grandfather this fall.”  Sam watched his father shout with joy, startling everyone around them before pulling his son into his arms.

“I’m so happy for you both!”

He grabbed Gabe and crushed him in a hug the smaller Alpha was  _ not _ expecting, but he hugged his father-in-law right back.

“Thank you.  For the moment we’re only going to be sharing the news within our immediate packs.  Later, once Sam’s out of the first trimester, we’ll start telling everyone else.” 

“I’m going to be a grandfather; I can’t believe it!  When are you due?” John was looking at Sam’s belly, no doubt looking for the telltale bulge that was their pup growing.

“November 1 st .”  Sam resisted the urge to rub his stomach.  It had become instinct to touch it, to feel his child growing inside of him.

“You know yet what it is?”  John asked.

“No, but at the next ultrasound we’ll know,” Gabe replied.

“This is the best damn news.  I can’t wait to meet my grandpup.”  John was so happy, and Sam knew he’d made his father’s dying wish come true.  That brought him a sense of peace. No longer was he the wild, untamed pup doing as he pleased, and racking up the figurative notches on his bedpost.  He’d done a lot of growing up over the last year, and he didn’t regret any of what he went through, even his date with Cole, because it had led him to his mate.  Gabe made him incredibly happy, and while he’d never thought he’d be the type of person that would enjoy being pampered, he did love how his mate did it. His Alpha was perfect.

“Am I missing something?  Dean was almost hostile upstairs, before you came walking down the aisle because…well, he thinks you  _ slept _ with Gabe’s brother.”  Kevin had come over when his curiosity over Dean had gotten the best of him.

“What?  I never even kissed him!  Why on earth would he think-”  Sam snapped his mouth shut and let out a loud groan.  “Shit!”

“What?”  Gabe asked.

“Well, when Castiel and I were getting to know one another, one of the things we had fun talking about was how our older brothers liked to prank us growing up.  I…have pictures, of things I did in retaliation to Dean. I have a secret photo album my brother doesn’t know about. He’d kill me if he knew I’d taken pictures.  I took Castiel into my room to show him because I didn’t want to get caught with the pictures out when Dean got home. I didn’t know where he was or when he’d be back, and I didn’t want to risk it.  He must have heard us talking and made the leap to sex. I swear, we never kissed.”

“I know, babe.  But I can see how Dean made that assumption.  I’m guessing Cassie set him straight.” Gabe smiled fondly at his baby brother.  Castiel was the last of the Shurley children to find their mate. They were now all happy and in love, even if Dean and his brother were just getting started on that part.

“I knew Dean was wrong.”  Kevin chuckled. “I’m glad they found each other.”

“So am I.  My only regret is not introducing them sooner,” Sam said.  “But they’ll be together from this point on. Something tells me they’ll be mated before the week is out.”

Gabe laughed rather loudly.  “Honey, they’ll be mated by tomorrow, I guarantee it.”

Sam shrugged as he laughed.  “You’re probably right.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Credit to
> 
>  
> 
> **[JenSpinner](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenSpinner/profile) \- ** for the collage. Thank you for reading, and I hope everyone enjoyed the story. Make sure you check out her profile, she's a great writer too!
> 
>  
> 
> Kudos and comments are always welcome.


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